The bi-weekly international flight service which began recently from the Vijayawada International Airport registered an impressive occupancy ratio (load factor) of about 73% in the first month.
According to the traffic data released by Airports Authority of India, 2,102 passengers flew between Vijayawada and Singapore on 16 flights in December. Each service has a capacity to accommodate 180 passengers.
On the other hand, the airport registered a growth of 70% in domestic passenger traffic and 65% in aircraft traffic from April to December in the current fiscal. If the passenger load factor continues to be consistent, the burden of Viability Gap Funding on Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL), which struck a deal with Indigo Airlines to run the services, will be eased. APADCL has already paid an advance of ₹3.05 crore to Indigo as per the agreement.
In all, 9.98 lakh passengers flew through the city airport and 1,539 aircraft movements were handled.
Passenger traffic at Tirupati, Rajahmundry and Kadapa airports too surged high, while that in Visakhapatnam was nowhere close in the current fiscal year until December.
Kadapa airport registered a growth of 255% serving 85,794 passengers from April to December as against 24,142 passengers in the corresponding period last year.
Rajahmundry Airport registered a growth of 104% as over 3.57 lakh passengers flew through it during the same period. Also, Tirupati served 6.29 lakh passengers and registered 56% growth.
