Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas on Friday launched Air India Express, India’s first international budget carrier from Vijayawada airport. Anne Divya, the world’s youngest commander of a Boeing 777 aircraft, was present at the launch.
The inaugural flight IX 213 departed at the scheduled time 10.30 a.m. with 98 passengers on board its maiden flight to Mumbai. The flight will arrive in Mumbai at 12.10 a.m. Air India CEO K. Syam Sundar travelled in it.
The Mumbai-Vijayawada-Mumbai service of Air India Express will be available thrice a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
The flight will leave Mumbai at 8 a.m. and reach Vijayawada at 9.45 a.m.
Mr. Raju said the runway expansion was likely to be completed by December and it would pave the way for flights to Singapore and Dubai.
He said the Ministry was in the process of framing regulations for operating sea-planes on Krishna river near Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada.
Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana, MLAs Gadde Rammohan Rao, Vallabhaneni Vamsi and Bode Prasad were present. A traditional water cannon salute was given to the Boeing 737 plane as it touched down on the runway.
