Tirupati: As soon as Tirupati International Airport construction is completed, domestic flights will start operating from the new airport. Construction of the international airport is expected to be completed within two months. The government took up International Airport construction at a cost of Rs 175 crore in Tirupati. It will get immigration, customs and health check-up facilities in the airport very soon.
The airport authorities have already started working to that end. With the necessary facilities in place, the Central government will give International Airport Status to the Tirupati International Airport. After that the international flight operators will conduct a survey to assess demand for flights. Based on that they will apply for time slot allotment to the Central government for necessary permissions. After getting permissions, they will operate international flights. The demand for international flights to Tirupati is expected to increase soon.
Tirupati airport director V. V. Rao said, "So far international flight operators have not applied for permission to operate flights to Tirupati International Airport. We will shift the domestic flights operation to the international airport as soon as construction is completed. At present airlines are operating five flights to Hyderabad and one flight to Vizag. We have began exercise to get immigration, customs and health check up in the international airport.”
The Central government has decided develop Tirupati, Vizag and Vijayawada airports as international airports. Transformation of Vizag Airport into an international airport is already complete. The government has almost completed the construction of Tirupati International Airport, which is expected to be inaugurated within two months. Plans are in place to convert Vijayawada Airport into an international one too.
Terminal area of Tirupati International airport is 22,000 square metre. The airport can handle 700, including 500 domestic and 200 international flights' passengers. Parking facility will be provided for 240 cars, 10 buses and 75-taxis. VIP lounges, smoking rooms, child care lounge, duty free shops and foreign exchange counters would be set up in the airport too.
