Tirupati airport to be upgraded as international airport

NEW DELHI: Tirupati airport will soon be upgraded as an international airport. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday gave its nod for declaration of the existing domestic airport at Tirupati as an international airport, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here.

The upgraded airport will offer improved connectivity and wider choice of services at competitive cost to travellers to the temple town of Tirupati, known for the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara.

The exact dates for operationalising international services would be announced later, Chidambaram said.
The upgradation would entail deputation of customs and immigration officials, setting up x-ray machines and developing arrival and departure lounges for air travellers, he said.

The international airport at Tirupati is expected to boost tourism and spur economic development of the region, Chidambaram said.