Plans afoot for direct Tirupati-Kuwait international flight

TIRUPATI: Once all goes as per plans, Tirupati Airport will start operating direct flights to Kuwait, where considerable number of people from Rayalaseema work.

Currently, they have to board flights for Kuwait from other international airports. They can save considerable time and money once international flights start taking off from Tirupati.

“Air India has responded positively to our request. Direct flights are likely to commence from the September to January season,” Tirupati MP Dr. M. Gurumurthy told Deccan Chronicle.

Government of India had granted international status to Tirupati Airport in June 2017 itself. But efforts to set up essential facilities like customs and immigration in Tirupati came to a halt, while Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam successfully started international flights.

Dr. Gurumurthy has been advocating launch of international flights from Tirupati, citing footfalls in the region due to its educational institutions, national institutes, and thriving business environment. Tirupati Airport has witnessed remarkable increase in passengers, with numbers soaring from 4.82 lakh in 2016 to 9.19 lakh during 2022–23.

The Tirupati MP recently met Air India Express CEO Alok Singh and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi, underlining Tirupati Airport's potential for international business and travel.

“Both the CEO and minister responded positively to the idea of launching direct flights between Tirupati and Kuwait. The imminent Tirupati-Kuwait connectivity could pave way for more international flights in the future,” Gurumurthy underlined.