Call for new routes to Andhra Pradesh

Sharjah: The Visakhapatnam International Airport Beneficiaries Forum, UAE, met India's Civil Aviation Minister, Vayalar Ravi, in Sharjah seeking action to operate international airline services from Visakhapatnam airport in Andhra Pradesh.

Forum chairman Yalamarthy Sarath said around 90,000 expatriates in the UAE were from the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Despite Visakhapatnam being the second largest city in the south Indian state, passengers from overseas were forced to travel long distances due to lack of international air services to this airport, Sarath said.

Passengers now reach international airports either in Hyderabad, Chennai or Mumbai and take domestic flights to Visakhapatnam.

Since local travel and waiting time is longer than travelling on international flights families with children and elderly people are put through a lot of hardship, Sarath said.