• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager
• Smartbuy

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

The Vizag airport has all the requisites for 24-hour operations, but other problems prevent it being operational round the clock.

Ch. R.S Sarma

Air connectivity to Visakhapatnam has improved vastly during the past one or two years, with the commissioning of the new runway and other expansion work taken up at a cost of more than Rs 300 crore, and more operators are evincing interest in the city.

A new terminal is under construction and facilities have improved substantially, with the frequent inundation problem faced by the airport also having been addressed. However, there is a feeling among air passengers as well as the general public that the pace of progress is not satisfactory and the airport is still not fully free of hassles.

For instance, by now, 24-hour operations should have been possible at the airport, but that has not yet happened. Night flights are being operated but only up to 8 p.m. There is a break between 2 p.m and 5 p.m.

The airport is under the control of the Ministry of Defence, and it is often stated that staff shortage is the principal reason for this problem, and that the airport has all the other requisites for 24-hour operations. It is clear that more operators will flock to Vizag only if 24-hour operations become possible.

The work on the new terminal building should also be expedited and international flights should be operated from here. Only then can Vizag enter the big league and will investments go up.

Vizag is now connected to the four major metros, besides Hyderabad and Bangalore, and a cargo flight is being operated by Crescent Air Cargo Service Private Limited. Crescent has made a small beginning and is planning to introduce more cargo flights.

There are long-term plans to construct an international airport at S. Rayavaram in Visakhapatnam district, between Vizag and Kakinada, to cater to the growing needs of the region, as the Vizag-Kakinada belt is being developed as the coastal industrial corridor with several special economic zones, including Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) and Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ).

Controversy surrounds the coastal corridor project, as there are objections to the project from environmental groups, the fishermen societies and other sections.

It is not clear when, and whether, the project will take off.

It is stated that the Navy has also objected to the site identified for the international airport at S. Rayavaram on the grounds that it is too close to the second naval base being developed in the area in Visakhapatnam district.

Two other sites are also under consideration for the international airport.

It is clear, therefore, that the international airport will be a reality only some years from now, and that the existing airport should be made use of fully to give impetus to the growth of Vizag as a modern industrial city.

For that to happen, the infrastructure facilities at the airport have to be improved at a fast pace.

More Stories on : Airlines | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Vizag airport still has miles to go

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line