Sins of omission clip wings of airport

Traffic dips in 2013-14 due to Samaikyandhra agitation. The old terminal building, on which around Rs.60 lakh was spent for conversion into an Integrated Cargo Complex, is lying idle.

July 22, 2014 09:29 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 01:31 am IST - VISAKHAPATNAM:

A file photo of the swanky new terminal building at Visakhapatnam Airport. Photo: K.R. Deepak

A file photo of the swanky new terminal building at Visakhapatnam Airport. Photo: K.R. Deepak

Not appointing a regular Director for nearly 10 months, not bringing to use the integrated cargo complex even after spending about Rs.60 lakh on it and, to top it all, transferring more officials speaks volumes of the apathy of the officials towards Vizag airport.

The traffic crossed the 10-lakh mark to register 10,38,958 passengers during 2012-13. Air India launched the first international daily flight to Dubai via Hyderabad and Silk Air launched its direct flight to Singapore thrice a week during 2012. The traffic marginally declined to 10,13,689 during 2013-14 due to the over six-month long Samaikhyandhra agitation.

When Vizianagaram MP P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju was appointed Union Minister for Civil Aviation in the Modi Cabinet, people of the region felt that the Vizag Airport would be put on the fast track of development.

At the maiden Cabinet meet held in the city on June 12, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had promised to develop Vizag as an IT capital, tourist and medical hub, cinema capital and to develop the Visakhapatnam International Airport by freeing it from defence control, if necessary.

The old terminal building, on which around Rs.60 lakh was spent for conversion into an Integrated Cargo Complex, is lying idle. Air Asia, which was allotted space at the airport as it wanted to operate flights from Vizag to Bangalore, pulled out. To add to the woes, three senior airport officials were transferred out of Vizag recently and only one replacement was given, sources said.

Appointment of a regular director is essential to enable quick decision-making and lobbying with airline operators and various agencies, sources said. Opening the cargo complex to encourage exports and appointment of additional staff to make use of the existing facilities at the airport are important to put the airport back on the fast track mode of development, sources said.

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