IndiGo launches Vijayawada-Varanasi-Kolkata flight services

IndiGo launched new flight services connecting Vijayawada with Varanasi and Kolkata on Thursday, operating three days a week. Union Minister Rammohan Naidu said connectivity from Vijayawada will be expanded further, with proposed flights to Pune, Ahmedabad and Cochin

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh): New IndiGo flight services connecting Vijayawada with Varanasi and Kolkata were launched on Thursday. The new services on the Vijayawada-Varanasi-Kolkata sector were launched at a ceremony held at the Vijayawada International Airport, which was attended virtually by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry.

“IndiGo has commenced new flight services linking Vijayawada with Varanasi and Kolkata, with the inaugural operations witnessing strong passenger response,” said an official press release from the airport authority. On the inaugural day, 89 passengers arrived at Vijayawada from Varanasi, while 129 passengers departed Vijayawada for Varanasi, said the press release.

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The services will operate three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flight 6E 6501 will depart Kolkata at 2.15 pm, reach Varanasi at 3.25 pm, and depart from there at 3.55 pm and arrive in Vijayawada at 5.50 pm. Similarly, flight 6E 6502 will depart Vijayawada at 6.20 pm, reach Varanasi at 8.15 pm, depart from there at 8.50 pm and arrive in Kolkata at 10.15 pm.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao attended the event in person and presented the first boarding passes to passengers on the inaugural flight. Naidu congratulated IndiGo for the new services and said the Ministry of Civil Aviation was working to expand Vijayawada’s connectivity further.

He said flights to Pune, Ahmedabad and Cochin would be added soon. The Union Minister also announced plans to introduce Hub-and-Spoke operations, under which Vijayawada airport would serve as a spoke to major international hub airports, adding that passengers would be able to complete customs and immigration formalities at Vijayawada before transferring to connecting flights at the hub airports. Minister Naidu said efforts were also being made to complete the new integrated terminal building at the earliest, with its design reflecting local art and culture.

He further said future seaplane operations were planned for Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam, Hussain Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar. Similarly, Sivanath said the new Varanasi service fulfilled a long-standing demand of local residents and requested flights to Cochin, citing demand from Sabarimala pilgrims. Balashowry and Venkata Rao thanked the Union minister and sought the early commencement of flights to Dubai, which would provide connectivity to global destinations through Emirates.