VISAKHAPATNAM: Multiple airlines have canceled their night flights at Visakhapatnam International Airport, which is overseen by the Indian Navy, due to upcoming runway resurfacing work set to commence on November 15.
This extensive project will run until April 1, 2024, necessitating the closure of the runway during nighttime hours, specifically from 9pm to 8am. As a result, night flight services to various destinations, including Delhi (Indigo), Bangalore (Indigo and Air Asia), Hyderabad (Indigo with two flights), and Pune (Indigo), will be affected.
The closure of night operations is also impacting passengers dependent on Scoot Airlines for connecting flights from Singapore to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Australia. According to K Vijaya Mohan, president of the Tours and Travel Operators Association of Andhra Pradesh, these connections are currently disrupted due to the runway resurfacing work.
The winter flight schedule reflects the absence of flights after 8.30pm and before 8am. The last flight departing from Visakhapatnam is an Indigo service to Hyderabad at 8.30pm, arriving from Mumbai at 8pm.
Visakhapatnam International Airport, with an annual footfall of approximately 2.85 million travelers, is expected to reach 3 million by the following year. The airport currently operates 21 flights, totaling 42 services. Airport Director S Raja Reddy anticipates the addition of several new flights to the fleet, with SpiceJet planning to introduce around five flights to various destinations in the upcoming fiscal year.
The runway resurfacing project will be conducted during nighttime hours, allowing contractors to work in short, consecutive bursts, completing a section each night and reopening it the next day. This marks the first runway resurfacing project since the Navy’s efforts in 2009, which was initially scheduled for 2019 but delayed due to pandemic conditions. Runway resurfacing, conducted approximately every 10 to 12 years, is a common practice at airports.
This extensive project will run until April 1, 2024, necessitating the closure of the runway during nighttime hours, specifically from 9pm to 8am. As a result, night flight services to various destinations, including Delhi (Indigo), Bangalore (Indigo and Air Asia), Hyderabad (Indigo with two flights), and Pune (Indigo), will be affected.
The closure of night operations is also impacting passengers dependent on Scoot Airlines for connecting flights from Singapore to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Australia. According to K Vijaya Mohan, president of the Tours and Travel Operators Association of Andhra Pradesh, these connections are currently disrupted due to the runway resurfacing work.
The winter flight schedule reflects the absence of flights after 8.30pm and before 8am. The last flight departing from Visakhapatnam is an Indigo service to Hyderabad at 8.30pm, arriving from Mumbai at 8pm.
Visakhapatnam International Airport, with an annual footfall of approximately 2.85 million travelers, is expected to reach 3 million by the following year. The airport currently operates 21 flights, totaling 42 services. Airport Director S Raja Reddy anticipates the addition of several new flights to the fleet, with SpiceJet planning to introduce around five flights to various destinations in the upcoming fiscal year.
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The runway resurfacing project will be conducted during nighttime hours, allowing contractors to work in short, consecutive bursts, completing a section each night and reopening it the next day. This marks the first runway resurfacing project since the Navy’s efforts in 2009, which was initially scheduled for 2019 but delayed due to pandemic conditions. Runway resurfacing, conducted approximately every 10 to 12 years, is a common practice at airports.