Vijayawada Gets New IndiGo Flights to Varanasi and Kolkata

Vijayawada International Airport has expanded its air connectivity with new IndiGo flight services to Varanasi and Kolkata, providing passengers with easier access to two major religious, commercial and cultural centres.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry inaugurated the services on Thursday. The minister participated virtually in the programme held at Vijayawada airport. Airport officials said the new flights received a strong response from passengers on the inaugural day.

IndiGo flight 6E 6501 will leave Kolkata at 2.10 pm, reach Varanasi at 3.55 pm and then depart for Vijayawada, arriving at 5.50 pm. The return flight, 6E 6502, will leave Vijayawada at 6.20 pm, reach Varanasi at 8.15 pm and subsequently fly to Kolkata, arriving at 10.15 pm.

The service will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

On the first day, 89 passengers travelled from Varanasi to Vijayawada, while 129 passengers flew from Vijayawada to Varanasi. Balashowry said the new connectivity would benefit people travelling for pilgrimage, business, education, healthcare and tourism.

He also urged the Centre to introduce direct Vijayawada-Dubai flights and a Vijayawada-Kochi service. A direct Dubai connection, he said, would improve international travel options and provide better onward connectivity to Africa, Europe and the US. The Kochi service would particularly benefit Sabarimala pilgrims.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkat Rao attended the programme and handed over inaugural boarding passes to passengers.

Naidu congratulated IndiGo and said efforts were underway to further expand Vijayawada airport's network. Pune, Ahmedabad and Kochi are expected to be added soon.

The minister also said the government was working on a hub-and-spoke model, under which passengers could complete customs and immigration procedures at Vijayawada before connecting to international destinations through major hub airports.

Construction of the airport's new integrated terminal is being expedited, Naidu said. The facility will incorporate Andhra Pradesh's local art and cultural heritage.

The ministry is also exploring seaplane services connecting destinations such as Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam, Hussainsagar and Nagarjunasagar, potentially opening another mode of regional connectivity.