RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM:In view of the growing importance of Rajamahendravaram airport as a centrally-located hub for VIP movements and as a nodal point for improved air connectivity with major cities in the country, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is also initiating steps to augment and develop the airport in all respects.
Speaking to TNIE here on Friday, airport director M Raj Kishore said that the AAI and the State Government will sign an MOU on Regional Air Connectivity (RAC), which will enable expansion of air operations in the state. As part of the MoU, flights will be operated from Rajamahendravaram to cities like Visakhapatnam, Gannavaram, Tirupati and Kadapa.
He said that from September 23, True Jet will operate a new service between Rajamahendravaram and Bengaluru. The flights departs at 9.10 am and reaches Bengaluru at 11 am and will return at 1.10 pm.
Similarly, a Hyderabad-Rajamahendravaram service will start at 7.30 am and reach at 9 am. Meanwhile, the departure timings of the last flight to Hyderabad from Rajamahendravaram have been changed to 5.20 pm from the current departure time of 4.45 pm.
At present, as many 12 flights are being operated from Rajamahendravaram to Hyderabad and Chennai. Because of the changed timings and increased connectivity, the passenger inflow has gone up from 13000 per month to 25000.
Temporary terminals for air cargo will be completed in six months time and permanent structures would be completed in a year-and-a-half. Cold storage units would be constructed for perishable cargo and warehousing godowns would be built for other cargo. These operations will provide jobs to many youths..
After expansion of runway, A 321, A 320 and Boeing 737 flights will be able to land at Hyderabad along with the existing ATR flights. He said the development of the airport will facilitate the overall growth of the area. On September 19, a stone would be laid for developmental works worth `187 crore at the airport.