Vizag's new International airport begins commercial operations

Hyderabad: Flights are now taking off from Visakhapatnam's new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, marking the start of commercial operations at the much-awaited aviation gateway for North Andhra Pradesh. The airport, developed and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL), began operations on Monday with domestic and international services connecting the city to destinations across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The first flight to arrive at the new airport was IndiGo flight 6E 6408 from Hyderabad, followed by its return service to Hyderabad. The airport also saw its first international service by an Indian carrier, with IndiGo operating flights to and from Abu Dhabi. Singapore-based Scoot operated the first international carrier flight, connecting Visakhapatnam with Singapore.

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The first arrivals of airlines including Air India Express, Air India, IndiGo, Scoot and India One were given ceremonial water cannon salutes as part of the airport's opening celebrations. The airport is expected to handle 52 air traffic movements on its first day of commercial operations.

"This airport will serve as a powerful catalyst for trade, tourism, investment, and employment, while strengthening regional and global connectivity and supporting the long-term economic growth of North Andhra Pradesh," Kanwarbir Singh Kalra, CEO, GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd, said.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1. It has an initial annual passenger handling capacity of 6 million and has been master planned for phased expansion to more than 40 million passengers annually.

The airport has a 3,800-metre Code 4E runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft. The facility is also expected to support the expansion of air cargo operations and strengthen Visakhapatnam's role as an aviation and logistics hub on India's eastern seaboard.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu was present at the airport to mark the commencement of operations and ceremonially handed over boarding passes to passengers on inaugural IndiGo and Air India Express flights and presented commemorative mementoes.