MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju seeks continuation of Vizag airport

Visakhapatnam: With the inauguration of Bhogapuram airport expected in early July, BJP MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju on Sunday suggested that the existing Visakhapatnam airport should continue operations for the next one year. Alternatively, he proposed that domestic flight services could continue from the Vizag airport for the time being, while international operations could be shifted to Bhogapuram.

Addressing the media in Visakhapatnam, Raju spoke about the possible inconvenience passengers may face in travelling to the new airport and referred to his recent experience while crossing major junctions in the city. “Crossing Hanumanthawaka junction alone recently took me 45 minutes. They are saying that we are getting a world-class airport in Bhogapuram. Who needs world-class facilities? We need safe and convenient access to and from the airport,” he said.

Raju maintained that retaining the current airport temporarily would be more convenient for city residents and would also help ease the transition to the new airport. He said it would be unfortunate for a city like Visakhapatnam, which is set to host major companies such as Google and Tata Consultancy Services, to be left without an airport within the city limits. He argued that depending solely on Bhogapuram airport while sidelining the existing Visakhapatnam airport would not be a proper decision.

Referring to the decades-old history of the Vizag airport, he remarked, “Imagine a couple seeking divorce after living together for 62 years — that is how it feels to remove Visakhapatnam’s existing airport and say that only Bhogapuram airport will remain,” he said. Raju added that decisions should be taken keeping in mind the future development and growing needs of Visakhapatnam city.