Airports fare well in traffic; growth rate increased in AP

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada airport has crossed an unimaginable magic figure in traffic growth, between April and November this year. The traffic growth is 76 per cent more, when compared to the corresponding period last year.

In fact, in the post-bifurcation scenario, the AP airports’ growth rate has increased by about 44 per cent, and when it comes to Vijayawada airport, the number of passengers travelled was 4,37,928 between April and November this year, which is 76 per cent more, when compared to the corresponding period of last year, i.e. 2,48,662, according to statistics.

In fact, Tirupati airport secured second place after Vijayawada in growth rate, as 2,87,131 passengers travelled from this airport between April and November this year, which is 43 per cent more, when compared to the corresponding period last year, i.e. 2,01,272.

Another interesting factor is that Visakhapatnam airport has registered 15.25 lakh passenger traffic between April and November this year, when compared to 11 lakh passengers who travelled from this airport in the corresponding period last year. In that way, Visakhapatnam airport stood as number one in passengers traffic among all the airports in Andhra Pradesh.

The Rajahmundry airport has also shown an improvement in passengers traffic, by registering 21 per cent growth. The passengers traffic was 1,71,491 between April and November this year that was registered at Rajahmundry airport.

Kadapa airport has registered poor performance, as there was only 6,544 passengers traffic registered between April and November this year. The passengers traffic and growth rate is encouraging in all airports of Andhra Prad-esh, said Potturi Bhaskar Rao, general secretary, AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF). He added that that they have placed their proposals before Ministry of Civil Aviation, for the improvement of Vijayawada airport.

Oversees travel yet to pick up
Despite the growth in passengers traffic in Vijayawada airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation did not address the demand of the overseas travellers. Overseas travellers have been demanding the initiation of operation of short distance international flights, particularly to Middle East and South East Asian Nations, including Dubai and Singapore, which will ease the sufferings of overseas travellers. All these issues have been placed before the ministry and so far, the measures taken were not encouraging.

“The flight to Dubai is a preferred option for the passenger who wants to travel to the West, say the US, Europe or Africa,” said Y. Ratnakumar, an NRI, who travels frequently abroad, having business base at Vijayawada.

Similarly, if a passenger’s destination is to the East, Singapore-bound flight is the best choice, he added. Since the Vijayawada airport is presently serving only domestic passengers and providing connectivity to limited destinations within the country, the passengers are urging the union ministry of civil aviation to look into the issue on priority basis.

Speaking about it, AP Chambers of Com-merce and Industry Federation (APCCIF) general secretary Potluri Bhaskar Rao said that as of now, the Vijayawada airport has been providing a facility to the passengers bound for New Delhi in the night only.

“There is only one Air India flight at 8 pm, in the night for Delhi. The airport authorities have extended the facility of international baggage check-in here itself, which facilitates the overseas passengers a smooth check-in for their international flights at New Delhi,” Mr Bhaskar Rao explained.

There are only four to five international services from Visakhapatnam and Tirupati as of now, he said and added that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has expressed its willingness that they are ready for customs clearances at Vijayawada airport from January.

However, depending on the interest shown by the airline operators, the AAI will further extend the facilities, according to Mr Bhaskar Rao. In fact, it is learnt that the Indigo has expressed its willingness to operate early morning services to New Delhi, which facilitates the overseas passengers to choose Vijayawada as their origin point of journey abroad. The profit and loss ratio was the main concern for any airline operator, as they simply can’t afford to operate their international services, without market survey.