Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Guru Prasad Mahapatra has agreed to develop Visakhapatnam airport into a world-class facility, on the condition that land is given for the purpose at the existing airport or at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district.
He gave the assurance to Andhra Pradesh Air Travellers Association (APATA) vice-president O. Naresh Kumar who met him, along with AAI Independent Director Daggubati Purandeswari in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Mr. Naresh Kumar sought that Visakhapatnam airport should be developed on the lines of Changi airport in Singapore that can handle up to 50 million passengers a year.
Land needed
The Chairman said that the AAI was ready to develop the existing airport, if sufficient land was given by the Visakhapatnam Port Trust and Indian Navy.
“The AAI is ready to develop the airport proposed at Bhogapuram as well. It had bagged the tender earlier, but the tenders were cancelled and AAI was not allowed to bid in the second round on the ground that the airport developer must have experience in developing commercial real estate space,” Mr. Mahapartra said.
He categorically stated that the city civilian airport would not be shut down and the new developer of the airport at Bhogapuram should keep in mind that the Visakhapatnam airport would operate even after the new airport came up, APATA representatives K. Kumar Raja and D.S. Varma said.
