TDP national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the party office at Mangaagiri on Wednesday.

Enhanced international connectivity to aid growing activity at Amaravati capital city and more international flights on cards at airports in the State. The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to go all out to restore international services and connectivity at airports such as Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. The State government, if necessary, will extend Viability Gap Funding to the airliners to run the international flights from airports in the State, according to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Responding to The Hindu at the TDP party office near here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati were established as international airports, but the scene was reversed during the YSR Congress Party rule in the last five years. “The passenger traffic has doubled in the last six months at Vijayawada and other airports in the State. As part of our next step, we are planning to enhance international connectivity. Last time, we extended VGF to flights from Vijayawada to Singapore. If necessary, the same VGF will be extended to new airlines intending to introduce international flights from our airports,” Mr. Naidu said.

The hotels also used to have full occupancy earlier, but even they suffered in the last five years. Now the situation is back to normal. There are more people shifting to Vijayawada and renting and buying more houses, according to the Chief Minister.

The TDP government in the State, during 2014-19, had selected Indigo Airlines to operate flights between Vijayawada and Singapore. The AP Airports Development Corporation Limited (AP-ADCL) had processed the tender and facilitated bi-weekly flights with the support of VGF from the State government. As per sources, over ₹3 crore VGF per month was paid to facilitate international flights. The AP-ADCL, as part of the selection process, had also held discussions with Singapore based Silk Air and Dubai based Emirates to operate flights.

Indigo had discontinued the services due to payment issue with government. The TDP government had blamed the YSRCP, which came into power in 2019.

Post general elections last May and change of guard, things moved further on the ground. In early August 2024, during a high level meet with top functionaries in Vijayawada, UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali said UAE was interested in operating 35 direct flights per week to cities in Andhra Pradesh. This apart, sources in the government said that affordable airlines such as Scoot airlines of Singapore might also look at Andhra Pradesh, given its traction in terms of passenger traffic towards South East Asian countries.