Vizag Airport - History

History

Prior to redevelopment, the airport saw low numbers of air traffic: in 1999 it was served with only one daily flight. In June 2007, a new runway of length 10,500 ft (3,200 m) was built, allowing aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 to operate at the airport. An Instrument Landing System was introduced in the same year, allowing for night operations which commenced in March 2008. The previous lack of such night-landing facilities had hindered the airport’s growth. These improvements saw the arrival of new airlines, such as JetLite and Air Deccan. The airport's new terminal building was inaugurated on 20 February 2009. In March 2012, Air India began international air operations between Dubai and Visakhapatnam via Hyderabad. This was the first international route to the city and is operated by Airbus A321 aircraft. A memorandum of understanding between the Airports Authority of India and Sathyabama University has been signed to bring Falcon Airlines of the UK to the airport to start a Flying Club and Aeronautical Institute. On October 19, Silkair, the low-fare subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, became the second international airline to operate flights from Visakhapatnam, with direct services to Singapore.