Visakhapatnam airport to open on Friday

Visakhapatnam: Vizag airport will be operational for domestic flights from October 17. Air India will run Delhi-Vizag-Hyderabad flight from Friday.

The airport civilian passenger terminal, which was completely damaged due  to cyclone Hudhud, is being restored and all efforts were on a war-footing to restore the immigration facility  at the airport and that international flight operations may resume by November 1, said civil aviation minister  P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju.  

After holding a review meeting with officials of ministry of civil aviation here on Thursday, Mr Gajapathi  Raju said comfort levels at Vizag Airport will definitely come down as air conditioning system may not be working and the aim is to starts flight operations as early as possible.

The terminal of the airport will be repaired in three months and on Friday Air India's flight AI-251 from Delhi will take off at 1.30 pm, lands at Vizag at 3.40 pm, and then take off for Hyderabad at 4.30 pm.  

Subsequently, another 10 flights of various airlines will be starting functioning from October 18 tentatively.

“We are still in the process of assessing the loss caused by cyclone Hudhud and also trying to get details of  insurance. The radar antenna was completely damaged and will be replaced and made functional within a  month, night operations are not expected to resume soon,” the minister and congratulated the staff.