VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam international airport has seen a steady growth in passenger footfall since domestic flight operations resumed in the state on May 26.
While in June 2020, the airport registered a footfall of 39,565 passengers, in September, this number increased to 79,727.
“After the ministry of civil aviation gave the green signal to resume domestic flights, operations started at the airport from May 26. In June, altogether 439 flights operated from Visakhapatnam, including domestic flights and a few international repatriation flights by Air India and other foreign airlines. In September, 794 flights operated from the city,” said a senior official.
In July, 529 flights operated from the city, with a passenger footfall of 40,095, which rose to 619 flights and 60,839 passengers in August.
“Despite the festive season being round the corner we don’t think new flights will come in by October-end or early-November until and unless the ministry increases the number of flight operations. In all probability, only SpiceJet might introduce its Chennai-Vijaywada-Visakhapatnam flight as of now,” K Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra Pradesh told TOI.
On September 2, the ministry of civil aviation announced an increase in limited domestic flight operations from 45% to 60%.
At present, the growth rate at Visakhapatnam airport is highest among all other airports – Vijayawada, Tirupati and Rajahmundry — in the state.
Figures for August show a passenger footfall of 30,160 in Vijayawada, 11,502 in Rajahmundry and 18,108 in Tirupati. Numbers for flight operations in August show 507 flights from Vijaywada airport, 528 at Rajahmundry and 278 at Tirupati.