Visakhapatnam: As the Union civil aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju sought suggestions regarding policies and ideas to ensure commencement of important projects such as the international air cargo operation, complaints regarding poor maintenance and the lack of amenities at Vizag airport came to the fore.
The aviation minister held an interaction during the annual meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries of Vizag zone, and he asked stakeholders as to why there had been such a poor response to the bidding process for the international air car-go project, with only one bidder expressing an interest.
He also spoke about the increase in the air passenger traffic at Vijayawada and Vizag airports in re-cent times and the emerging opportunities for industries in the domestic market. “After 70 years of independence, we have only 70 active airports in the country. We are exploring all ways possible to set up new ones. The six parking bays that will be taken up in the city will help meet the demand for early morning and late evening flights to various destinations. All the demands made by people are being considered, as per their priority,” the minister said.
Stakeholders who were in attendance asked for more flights to Colombo, Thailand, Ahmedabad and other domestic destinations, and brought up the inconveniences faced by their clients. Some stakeholders complained about the maintenance and cleanliness of toilets, urinals, drinking water facility.
Vizag MP Kambhampati Haribabu threw light on the facilities available at Vizag, and the initiatives that had been taken to improve infrastructure within three years of coming to power. He assured stakeholders there would be a vast improvement once the projects commenced. He also added that night parking facilities would become available within six months.
O. Naresh Kumar, CEO of Symbiosys Technolo-gies and president of Vizag Development Council, suggested that a deadline be set for the aviation projects. He also highlighted the need of e-Visa and visa on arrival facilities.
The aviation minister expressed his dissatisfaction with flight operators from the UAE. He said, “Their service is good, but UAE is not giving destinations to Indian operators. Deals can happen when Indians get the right treatment. The level of playing should be equal.”
G.S. Siva Kumar, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Andhra Pradesh, moderated the interactive sessions. He also brought to notice the international flight operators who were willing to operate from Vizag.
