VISAKHAPATNAM: Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao has drawn attention to the inconvenience faced by passengers due to the cancellation of direct flights between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
Sharing his personal experience on X (formerly Twitter), he posted a satirical note titled “From Andhra to Andhra via Telangana,” criticising the lack of direct connectivity between the two key cities in Andhra Pradesh.
Ganta explained that he had to take a morning flight from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad and then board a connecting flight to Vijayawada, finally reaching Gannavaram Airport around 1 p.m. He further mentioned that trade representatives from organisations such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), who were scheduled to meet Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the evening, also had to travel through the same route due to the lack of direct flights.
He pointed out that the cancellation of two morning flights on this sector has made travel difficult, especially on Tuesdays when even the Vande Bharat Express is not available. It may be recalled that in light of these issues, a letter has been addressed to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, K. Ram Mohan Naidu, seeking urgent intervention. The letter by the Andhra Pradesh Air Travellers Association (APATA) stated that AirAsia plans to withdraw its international flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Visakhapatnam starting the first week of May.
It urged the minister to intervene and engage with the airline to prevent the suspension of these routes.
The letter also raised concern over the withdrawal of Indigo’s morning flight between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. With limited travel alternatives on certain days, such cancellations are expected to impact passenger convenience and the State’s connectivity.