HYDERABAD: Extension of runway and installation of night landing facility in the Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airports are now complete and awaiting inauguration.

Work on the development of Vijayawada airport is yet to commence while tenders have been called for different works in Rajahmundry airport.

A 10,000-foot long elevated runway has been constructed in Visakhapatnam with night landing facility. Instrument landing system (ILS) has been installed at the airport. Once the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) accords green signal, these services will be put to operation, according to Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation K.V. Brahmananda Reddy. The total investment had cost Rs. 200 crores.

The ILS facilitates landing of aircraft with a minimum visibility of 800 metres to 1.2 km in the event of thick fog against normal visibility range of 3 km to 5 km. Chief Minister Y S. Rajasekhara Reddy recently wrote to the Ministry of Defence to have the new facilities in Visakhapatnam airport inaugurated at the earliest.

Aside from these facilities, a new terminal building with three aerobridges and additional capacity to handle international travellers and landing facility for international aircraft at a cost of Rs. 100 crore would also come up by December 2007, Mr. Reddy told The Hindu on Tuesday. The AAI would invest Rs. 100 crore in this project. Night landing facility would be inaugurated at Tirupati airport anytime, he said, adding that the State Government had sought the installation of ILS in this airport. Twelve solar panel lights were fitted on the Tirumala hills to caution the aircraft.

Work to commence

He said that the Chittoor district Collector had already identified land to facilitate expansion and creation of additional parking for the aircraft.

Once the AAI completed inspection, the work would commence.

Extension of runway from 5,735 feet in Vijayawada and 6,000 feet in Rajahmundry to 7,500 feet, and corresponding extension/installation of night landing facility, building a modern terminal building to handle 300 passengers (Vijayawada) and 150 passengers (Rajahmundry) and refuelling facility Doppler very high frequency omni range (DVOR) formed part of the development.

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