The Hindu Business Line : Civil aviation takes flight in AP

Civil aviation, for long neglected in Andhra Pradesh, is set to take off in the near future, if the State Government’s plans take shape, and will give a fillip to tourism, IT and industry.

For almost six decades, Hyderabad domestic airport has been the only fully functional airport in the State, with both Gannavaram (Vijayawada) and Visakhapatnam airports facing handicaps. Only in recent years has the State Government woken up to the fact that air connectivity is crucial to all-round development of the State and taken remedial steps.

According to Mr K.V. Brahmananda Reddy, Special Secretary (R&B), who is also the MD of the civil aviation wing in the State, work on the international airport at Shamshabad (Hyderabad) is being completed fast and the airport will be ready for operation by May-June, 2008.

He said, “The Visakhapatnam airport has a new runway and work is in fast progress on the terminal building, which, with facilities such as escalators, will be ready by next year. The instrumentation landing system (ILS) has already been installed and night landing will be possible soon.”

He said that there were also plans to build an international airport at Visakhapatnam and search was on for a suitable site. The State Government had signed memoranda of understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to expand the airports at Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and Tirupati. Work was in progress at Tirupati for construction of a terminal building and creation of night-landing facilities. “The work on Vijayawada runway expansion and the terminal building will begin some time next year and then Rajahmundry will also be taken up. Besides, there are plans for construction of small Greenfield airports at Ramagundam, Kothagudem, Nellore, Kurnool, Tadepalligudem and Ongole,” he said.

With low-cost operators in the field, it should be possible for the common man also to fly. “Air travel should no longer be deemed a luxury,” he said.

‘Pace of progress not satisfactory’

In spite of the ambitious plans of the State Government, there are many who feel that the pace of progress is not satisfactory. Prof. R.V. Rama Rao, a Visakhapatnam-based consultant, feels the Airports Authority of India should immediately take steps for the construction of an international airport in the city. “It is laudable that the State Government, the AAI and the Navy have taken steps to construct a new runway and improve the facilities and amenities at the existing airport. But it is under the control of the Navy and it is not adequate for the needs of a fast-growing city. A site has been identified at Sabbavaram near Visakhapatnam for the construction of an international airport and that should be chosen. Instead, we are told that the AAI is now searching for alternative sites,” he said.

There is also the feeling that the Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada, built by the British during World War II, has outlived its use and a new modern airport should be built somewhere between Vijayawada and Guntur to serve the needs of the south coastal region, as the Vizag airport takes care of the north-coastal districts.

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