New Gannavaram airport terminal off to a flying start

VIJAYAWADA: The new-built terminal at the Gannavaram airport officially started operations from Monday.  Though it was inaugurated in January, the airport authorities did not allow regular operations for safety and security tests. After going through all the tests, the airport authorities started operations from the new terminal. A Trujet flight took off from the new terminal on Sunday night and full-fledged operations began from Monday.

Gannavaram airport director G. Madhusudana Rao inaugurated the terminal. With this, the airport can now handle 500 passengers, 250 each in departure and arrival. A built up area of 12,642 sq. metres was made available in the new terminal and it has 18 check-in counters, three baggage conveyors, six boarding gates, parking space for 300 cars. In addition, a ceremonial lounge, conference hall, back-up offices for airlines and dedicated approach road for VIPs was also developed and operationalised.

Mr Rao said that now the Gannavaram airport has a domestic terminal of international standard. “Yesterday night, we had a trial run and from today, all operations were started from the new terminal. This terminal will act as full-fledged domestic terminal and it will take another three years to develop integrated international and domestic terminal at Gannavaram,” he said.