Cancellation of flights from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada irks passengers

It was unfortunate that we had to travel from the financial capital of A.P. to the administrative capital of A.P. Amaravati via the Telangana capital Hyderabad, says former Minister and Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao Ganta Srinivasa Rao

The cancellation of flights from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada, and other destinations is causing inconvenience to passengers from the biggest city and financial capital of Andhra Pradesh and drawing flak from the people.

Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao and representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), who were travelling to Vijayawada, had a harrowing experience as they had to take a detour via Hyderabad, changing two flights on Tuesday, April 15.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao posted on ‘X’ narrating his experience under the caption: ‘Andhra to Andhra via Telangana’. It was unfortunate that we had to travel from the financial capital of A.P. to the administrative capital of A.P. Amaravati via the Telangana capital Hyderabad. I had reached Vizag Airport at 8 a.m., took a flight to Hyderabad and another flight from there to Vijayawada.

It was 1 p.m. by the time I reached the Gannavaram Airport. I had to attend a meeting with the Chief Minister in the evening. The cancellation of two morning flights operating between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada is responsible for this. It was unfortunate that it being a Tuesday, the Vande Bharat express is also not available, and we had no other option but to change two flights to reach Vijayawada.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday, AP Air Travellers Association president K. Kumar Raja, and vice presidents O. Naresh Kumar and D.S. Varma sought his intervention on the revival of flights from Vizag to various destinations which were withdrawn this month as also in the past. They noted that two flights to Vijayawada and international flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur were withdrawn.

These were in addition to the air connections from Visakhapatnam, which were lost in the past, including those to Goa, Pune, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar and Akasa Air to Mumbai. They sought direct flights to Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Coimbatore and other cities apart from flights to Vijayawada at convenient schedules. They also sought dedicated cargo flights from Visakhapatnam to different parts of the globe for export of pharmaceutical and other industries located in Pydibhimavaram of Srikakulam district and Parawada Pharma City in Anakapalli district.

They appealed to the Civil Aviation Minister to consider opening of Udan Yatri Cafe in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry and Tirupati Airports, Udan cargo flights between Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports, setting up of an Aviation University near Bhogapuram and better road connectivity to Bhogapuram Airport by the early completion of 12 flyovers and master plan roads in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.