Night flights from Visakhapatnam International Airport to be stopped from November 15 till March-end

Night flights from Visakhapatnam Int'l Airport to be stopped Nov 15-Mar 2024 due to runway resurfacing. Affects dozen flights & tour operators' businesses. Navy controls ATC and AAI civil enclave. Airlines informed, may revise schedules. SpiceJet announces 2 flights from Aug 10. TTOA worries about overseas flight.

Night flights from Visakhapatnam International Airport will be stopped from November 15 till the end of March 2024 to facilitate resurfacing of the runway. The decision to close the airport from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. would affect a dozen flights.

Tour-and-travel operators have already expressed their apprehension about the impact of the decision on their businesses during the peak tour season. Visakhapatnam city and the Agency areas of Araku and Lambasingi witness an influx of tourists from different parts of the country and from abroad after Dasara and till the end of January.

The Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the airport is under the control of the Navy whereas the civil enclave is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Normally, the resurfacing of airport runways is done once in about 10 years.

“We have sought a reduction of the closing time from 10.30 p.m. to 7 a.m. to minimise the inconvenience to passengers. I am yet to get a response from the Navy. I have apprised the AAI headquarters in Delhi of the situation so that it can take it up with the Naval headquarters,” airport director Raja Reddy told The Hindu on Thursday.

“The airline operators have already been informed about the decision, and they are expected to make changes in their winter schedules. Allowing the night operations by a few more hours may see the continuation of the Visakhapatnam-Singapore flight. The domestic operators may also consider revising their schedule, if there is not much difference in the schedule,” he opined.

SpiceJet has announced a new daily night flight from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad. It is scheduled to leave Visakhapatnam at 9.35 p.m. and reach Hyderabad at 10.50 p.m. It has also announced a one-stop daily flight from Visakhapatnam to Pune, which leaves Visakhapatnam at 9.35 p.m. These two flights would be operated from August 10.

“We hope that the airline operator revise the schedule and operate the flights. We are also worried about the operation of the overseas flight,” said K. Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Operators of Andhra (TTOA).