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Vijayawada Airport

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Vijayawada Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerAirports Authority of India
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesVijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Capital Region
LocationGannavaram, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL82 ft (25 m)
Coordinates16°31′44″N 80°47′45″E / 16.52889°N 80.79583°E / 16.52889; 80.79583
WebsiteVijayawada Airport
Map
VGA is located in Andhra Pradesh
VGA
VGA
Location within Andhra Pradesh
VGA is located in India
VGA
VGA
Location within India
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 11,024 3,360 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2025 – March 2026)
Passengers14,11,958 (Increase 1.7%)
Aircraft movements17,112 (Decrease 7.8%)
Cargo tonnage1,264.5 (Decrease 10.5%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]
Name board at the airport

Vijayawada Airport (IATA: VGA, ICAO: VOBZ) is an international airport serving the city of Vijayawada and the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region in India. The airport is located in Gannavaram, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Vijayawada.

History

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The airfield at Gannavaram served as an army base during World War II, after which it was converted into a civilian airport. Passenger operations remained limited for decades. Air Deccan introduced a daily service between Hyderabad and Vijayawada in September 2003.[4] Until 2011, the airport accommodated only four flights a day, operated primarily by Kingfisher Airlines.[5]

To cater to increasing passenger traffic, the foundation stone for a new interim terminal building was laid in October 2015.[6] The terminal, designed to handle two million passengers per annum, was inaugurated on 12 January 2017.[7] Following the shift of domestic operations to the interim terminal, the old airport terminal building was closed, refurbished, and equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle international services.[8]

The Government of India officially granted international status to the airport on 3 May 2017.[9] After the state government offered viability gap funding (VGF) to airlines, private operator IndiGo secured the contract to operate international routes.[10] On 4 December 2018, an IndiGo flight departed for Singapore Changi Airport, marking the inaugural international flight from Vijayawada.[11]

Facilities

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Runways and structure

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The airport features a single runway, designated 08/26, which was extended to 3,360 by 45 metres (11,024 ft × 148 ft) in 2019. The runway is capable of handling both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 747, and is equipped with a Category I ILS.[12] The airport's apron has been expanded in phases and currently features 24 parking bays capable of accommodating Airbus A320, Boeing 737, ATR-72, and Bombardier Q400 aircraft.[13]

Interim terminal

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The interim terminal spreads over 12,999 square metres and includes a check-in area, arrival hall, meet-and-greet service staircase, aviation lounge, and a baggage pick-up area. The terminal handles up to 500 passengers at peak hours and features 18 check-in counters, two conveyor belts, and six boarding gates.[14]

Expansion

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To accommodate future growth, a new integrated terminal building is currently under construction. The foundation stone was laid on 4 December 2018 by the then Minister of Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu.[15] The 51,315-square-metre steel and glass structure is being developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at an estimated cost of ₹824.28 crore.[16]

The new terminal is designed to handle 3.5 million passengers annually and accommodate up to 1,200 peak-hour passengers (800 domestic and 400 international). It will feature 24 check-in counters, eight customs and immigration counters, six passenger boarding bridges, nine departure gates, and modernized infrastructure to support larger flight volumes. Due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent contractor changes in early 2026, the completion deadline was revised. The terminal is scheduled for full operational readiness by late 2026.[17][18]

Panorama of interim terminal

Transport

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Vijayawada Airport is situated on National Highway 16, which connects Chennai and Kolkata. The airport is accessible from the city via public buses, airport taxis, and ride-hailing services.[citation needed]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air India Delhi,[19] Mumbai[19]
Air India Express Bengaluru,[20] Hyderabad,[21] Sharjah,[22] Visakhapatnam[21][23]
Fly91Hyderabad,[24] Tirupati[25]
IndiGoBengaluru,[26] Chennai,[26] Delhi,[27] Hyderabad,[26] Kadapa,[28] Kurnool,[29] Mumbai,[27] Singapore,[30] Tirupati,[31] Varanasi,[32] Visakhapatnam[31][33]

Statistics

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PassengersYearPassengersAnnual passenger traffic
Annual domestic passenger traffic and aircraft movements at Vijayawada Airport
Year Domestic passenger traffic Domestic aircraft movements
Passengers Percent change Aircraft movements Percent change
2025–261,411,325[34]+1.6%17,536[35]−5.5%
2024–251,388,943[36]+35.4%18,558[37]+24.3%
2023–241,025,734[38]+10.3%14,934[39]+4.4%
2022–23929,765[40]+60.6%14,300[41]+61.9%
2021–22579,111[42]+33.2%8,833[43]+28.7%
2020–21434,737[44]−61.4%6,863[45]−54.8%
2019–201,125,551[46]−4.5%15,190[47]−19.9%
2018–191,178,559[48]+57.9%18,957[49]+58.0%
2017–18746,392[50]+19.9%11,999[citation needed]+16.1%
2016–17622,354[51]+56.1%10,333[52]+54.8%
2015–16398,643[citation needed]+71.9%6,676[citation needed]+43.9%
2014–15231,931[citation needed]NA4,639[citation needed]NA

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 28 August 1980, Vickers Viscount VT-DJC of Huns Air was damaged beyond economic repair when the nosewheel collapsed after the aircraft bounced three times on landing.[53]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Annexure III: Airport-wise Passenger Traffic Statistics for March 2026 (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. April 2026. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Annexure II: Airport-wise Aircraft Movement Statistics for March 2026 (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. April 2026. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Annexure IV: Airport-wise Freight Traffic Statistics for March 2026 (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. April 2026. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "One more flight for Vijayawada". The Hindu. 23 November 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Another pvt airliner to operate from Gannavaram". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 March 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ↑ "Foundation stone of Vijayawada airport's new terminal laid". The Economic Times. PTI. 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "Naidu opens new transit terminal at Vijayawada airport". Deccan Chronicle. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Old airport terminal readying for international operations". The Hindu. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Cabinet approves Vijayawada Airport as International Airport". Press Information Bureau. 3 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "Vijayawada airport gets international status, first flight takes off to Singapore". The News Minute. 5 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "With First Flight To Singapore, Vijayawada Enters Global Aviation Map". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  12. ↑ "Vijayawada airport now ready for wide-body aircraft operations". The Economic Times. PTI. 12 February 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  13. ↑ "Vijayawada airport now has 16 Parking Bays". The Hindu. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "New airport terminal to be opened on Jan 12". The Hindu. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Vijayawada AirPort to get integrated terminal building". Business Standard India. ANI. 5 December 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Murthy, Sistla Dakshina (17 May 2022). "New terminal works at VJA airport at brisk pace, inauguration by year-end". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "Vijayawada airport likely to get new terminal building by June 2025, says Civil Aviation Minister". Financial Express. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Minister: Vij int'l terminal will be ready by June 2025". The Times of India. 26 July 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Vijayawada Airport records five-fold rise in passenger traffic over 12 years". The New Indian Express. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Air India Express launches daily flights from Bengaluru to Indore and Vijayawada". The Hindu. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Air India Express expands winter operations from Vijayawada and Vizag". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Air India Express launches Vijayawada-Sharjah direct flights". BusinessLine. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Peri, Usha (17 August 2026). "Flight operations end at Vizag Airport". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Fly91 launches Vijayawada-Hyderabad flights; route now served by nine daily services". The Hindu. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "FLY91 adds Tirupati as 13th destination, expands regional network". ETTravelWorld. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 "IndiGo to operate daily flights from Vijayawada to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai". The Times of India. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Three new flights to be launched from Vijayawada in August". Deccan Chronicle. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "IndiGo to start flight services from Kadapa to Vijayawada and Chennai from March 27". The Hans India. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Kurnool-Vijayawada flight services to start from July 2". The Hindu. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  30. ↑ "IndiGo to Launch Direct Flights between Vijayawada and Singapore from November 15". Travel Trade Journal.
  31. 1 2 "Will offer VGF to ensure more international flights are operated from Andhra Pradesh, says Naidu". The Hindu. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Vijayawada to Varanasi direct flights to begin from August 13". NDTV. 18 June 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Peri, Usha (17 August 2026). "Flight operations end at Vizag Airport". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Vijayawada airport records five-fold rise in passenger traffic over 12 years".
  35. ↑ "Vijayawada airport records five-fold rise in passenger traffic over 12 years".
  36. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2025: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  37. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2025: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  38. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2024: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  39. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2024: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  40. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2023: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  41. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2023: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  42. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2022: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  43. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2022: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  44. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2021: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  45. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2021: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  46. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2020: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  47. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2020: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  48. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2019: Annexure-III" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2023.
  49. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2019: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  50. ↑ Boda, Tharun (29 April 2019). "Vijayawada airport clocks 500% hike in passenger traffic in 5 years". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  51. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-III" (PDF).
  52. ↑ "Traffic News for the month of March 2017: Annexure-II" (PDF).
  53. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
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