24/7 flights not until January 15

Visakhapatnam: In a move that may disappoint city’s high-flyers, the naval authorities, said to have decided to delay introducing 24/7 operations at Vizag airport for at least 15 days.  

Earlier, it was decided that Vizag airport, which is controlled by Eastern Naval Command (ENC) be open round-the-clock from January 1 as a New Year gift to Vizagites. 

Currently, the Navy allows only 24/7 operations thrice a week and the airport is closed for late night flights on the remaining four days of the week.

“Under the pretext of maintenance to shorter runway 28, INS Dega has decided to close the Instrument Landing System (ILS) facility at Vizag airport from 6 pm onwards everyday from January 1 till 15. This appears to  be a paradox when the Navy has agreed to open the Visakhapatnam airport for 24 hrs from January 1, 2014. INS Dega obviously acted contrary to its own promise and this put not only the air travelling public but also the airlines that operate beyond 6 pm to great   inconvenience. By virtue of this maintenance work, Spice Jet, Jet airways and Silk Air will be badly affected and they may be forced to   reschedule their operations causing enormous inconvenience to foreign   going air travelers,”  said Air Travellers Association (India) president, D. Varada Reddy. 

He suggested that INS Dega can, however, take up the maintenance work,  like in all other airports in India during morning and afternoon   hours when there are no aircraft operations. 

“Since there are no operations between 11 pm and 7 am the maintenance can be carried out during those hours. AS the runway 28 is not an operational runway, INS Dega can way-out maintenance works without having to switch off the ILS facility,” Varada Reddy added.