Vijayawada: As many as six aero bridges and a huge integrated terminal to accommodate nearly 2,000 passengers are envisaged as part of development of the Vijayawada International Airport at a cost of Rs 610 crore.
The six new aero bridges will enable passengers to board the flights directly from the terminal, unlike the present practice of transporting passengers from the terminal to the boarding point of the aircraft on the tarmac. This saves time and avoids trouble to the aged persons, the disabled and children while boarding flights.
The new ATC will be operational from a spacious building, where high-end electronic gadgets can be installed to facilitate hassle- free and smooth landing and take-off of the aircraft. The present ATC is being functional from a small building. It will be closed or used for other purposes once the new ATC becomes operational.
At present, the airport facilitates the arrival and departure of 5,000 air passengers per day involving 25 flights per day to sectors like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Shirdi, Kadapa etc.
The expansion and development of the Vijayawada airport will be of immense benefit to the people of the Godavari region/ districts. The big-winged aircrafts would go to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru directly from the airport.
Airport director Lakshmikanth Reddy said, “We have completed 65 per cent of the development works so far. In the last six months, 20 per cent of the works were completed in an expeditious manner. We aim to complete the works by end of June this year.”
