The decision of Jet Airways to take Vizag off their route network with effect from May 31 has caused concern among various sections of the people.
Rajya Sabha Member T. Subbarami Reddy has expressed shock in a letter to Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal. Describing the decision as ‘hasty’, he sought reversal of the decision. He has said that Visakhapatnam is among the four fastest growing cities in India and the largest in Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation.
He has sought reconsidering of the decision and adding of new services on the Delhi-Vizag-Chennai sector in the mornings and Chennai-Vizag-Delhi in the evenings and extension of the Hyderabad-Abu Dhabi service to Visakhapatnam. He is optimistic that these services would be economically viable besides providing passenger convenience.
“It’s their (Jet Airways) policy matter but we appeal to other airline operators like Air Costa and Indigo to start operations from Vizag and benefit from the huge growth potential of the city. There are no flights from Hyderabad to Vizag after 4.30 p.m. and this is essential to those going on business trips and returning at the end of the day’s work,” feels G. Sambasiva Rao, past president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CII), Vizag.
Good connectivity“Vizag with a population of 22 lakh, has a major port, several public and private sector industries, three SEZs besides good air, rail, road and sea connectivity, which makes it an attractive destination for tourism, medical and educational facilities,” says Air Travellers’ Association of India ATA (I) president D. Varada Reddy.
“Airlines operating into and out of Vizag are running to full capacities. The cargo from pharma industries is expected to touch 2000 tonnes a week to Europe and USA and seafood was regularly touching 25 tonnes a week.” He has noted that with exports and passengers growing with each passing month, more and more airlines are looking at Visakhapatnam as an important destination. “It is shocking to hear that Jet Airways is planning to wind up its operations from the city from May 31,” he says.
