The Visakhapatnam International Airport has witnessed a slow but steady growth in the number of passengers during the last two and a half months, despite the restrictions imposed on operation of flights in the wake of COVID-19.
Even as the domestic flight services have been restored partially, international flights are yet to be resumed. However, the airport continues to receive passengers from different countries who arrived here by repatriation flights as part of the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) and chartered flights.
The domestic flights were partially restored in May after the lockdown norms were relaxed and the airport handled 7,369 passengers during the month, with 3,934 arrivals and 3,435 departures. The corresponding figures for June are 20,212 arrivals and 17,111 departures, taking the total passenger count to 37,323.
During the lockdown period in April, the airport handled 24 domestic passengers through non-scheduled domestic flights, 48 domestic and 541 international passengers (non-scheduled) in May and 116 domestic and 2,594 international passengers (non-scheduled) in June this year. The frequency of domestic flights increased from 118 in May to 406 in June, while the non-scheduled movements included six domestic flights in April, 19 domestic and four international flights in May and, 41 domestic and 25 international non-scheduled flights.
The 27 repatriation flights handled by the airport between May 19 and July 6 brought 3,558 passengers to Vizag and 163 passengers left the city by return flights.
Meanwhile, the linear expansion works undertaken at the airport are nearing completion. “The erection of structures has been completed while the flooring works are in progress. Additional elevators have arrived, but they are yet to be installed. Once the civil works are completed, the elevators will be installed,” airport Director M. Raja Kishore told The Hindu .
The airport authorities have placed order for a conveyor belt and it is yet to arrive from abroad.
N 5 taxi track
“The N 5 taxi track work has been completed and the clearance has been obtained from the Navy. A team of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is expected to issue the final clearance for operation of the taxi track soon. It is being delayed due to the pandemic,” he added.
