VISAKHAPATNAM: The new terminal building constructed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at the Visakhapatnam international airport is ready for operations. The construction was delayed due to the pandemic conditions.
The new building was constructed at a cost of 60 crore. Presently, cleaning works are going on in the terminal building. The authorities would shift the customs and immigration equipment to the new terminal building soon. The new building is spacious and can accommodate more than double the number of passengers compared to the existing building. It would also help in smooth flow of passengers both in domestic and international terminals.
Vizag airport handled a peak of 2.85 million passengers in the financial year 2018-19. The airport authorities and the advisory committee members felt that this peak load figure will be crossed very soon.
With the expansion of the terminal building, an additional 10,000 sqm of space will be added to the existing 20,000 sqm. The additional space would be utilised exclusively for international arrivals and departures. The existing space, which is now being used for international arrivals and departures, will be used to cater to the needs of the domestic passengers.
“The new terminal building has six parking bays and three aero-bridges. Six more are already operational. It will facilitate the parking of 12 planes at a time. In one hour, 12 flights can land and take off which means handling of over 3,000 passengers at a time. The expansion of the terminal building is expected to take care of that load. The extra space will help ensure social distancing,” one of the advisory committee members, O Naresh Kumar, said.
