Foundation stone laid for linear expansion of Visakhapatnam airport

In a major fillip to the civil aviation sector in Andhra Pradesh, Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu, on Tuesday, flagged off three major projects in the state. Mr. Prabhu, via a video link from New Delhi, inaugurated extended runways at the Vijayawada and Rajahmundry airports and also laid the foundation stone for the linear expansion of Visakhapatnam airport terminal.

The extension of Visakhapatnam airport terminal, which has been taken up at a cost of Rs 60 crores, will reportedly increase the area from 19,800 square meters to 29,050 square meters. The expansion, which is likely to be completed by September, is expected to increase the terminal’s peak-hour handling capacity to about 1000 passengers, as compared to the current capacity of accommodating close to 700 passengers.

Mr. Prabhu agreed to the fact that there was a huge scope for growth of cargo in Visakhapatnam. In this context, it may be noted that recent reports revealed a growth in both, passenger and cargo traffic through Visakhapatnam airport. While the passenger traffic for the first three quarters for FY 2018-19 saw a surge of 21.3%, a growth rate of 17.5% was reported in the domestic cargo handle through Vizag Airport in the FY 2018-19.

The Vijayawada and Rajahmundry airports, on the other hand, have been extended from 2286 metres to 3360 metres and 1750 metres to 3165 respectively. While the project at Vijayawada airport cost about Rs 145 crores, the expansion in Rajahmundry cost Rs 182 crores.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prabhu said that another 100 airports will be established in the country in the coming 10-15 years with an estimated investment of about $65 billion.