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Civil flight operations at Visakhapatnam Airport were suspended from midnight on Sunday, bringing an end to regular civilian operations at the city's old airport. Flight services began from the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport on Monday.
Several housekeeping workers expressed distress over the suspension of civil aviation operations and raised concerns about their livelihoods. Sunita, a housekeeping worker, alleged that employees had been left without jobs or financial assistance following the shift of operations. "Now they are saying the jobs are over. They threw everyone out. They didn't give any money; they didn't give any jobs. Everyone has children who are studying. Now we are left outside. What should we do? Our situation is desperate," she said. Siva Prasad, who said he had worked at the airport for around 10 years, claimed that nearly 150 housekeeping workers had been affected. "We have been working here doing housekeeping work for the past 10 years. Around 150 of us workers have been affected. We are very poor people; none of us has much to fall back on. Our monthly salary is the only way we manage to afford food," he said. Another worker, Ganditi Ramu, who said he had worked at the airport for 15 years, appealed to the authorities for intervention. "People have been working here for 15 to 20 years. We worked through COVID-19, and we worked in Kurnool. Now nobody stands with us. Even our company authority isn't giving answers," he said. The closure of the old airport evoked mixed reactions among passengers, with many expressing nostalgia over the facility's long association with the city, while others welcomed the move as an important step towards Visakhapatnam's expansion and development. A passenger, Vijay, described the final day as an emotional moment. "Today, I feel very emotional standing here at the old Vizag airport on its final day of operations. I work in Sheela Nagar, so I used to finish my work and travel frequently through this airport. The entire process, from boarding to the time spent at the airport, used to take around 45 minutes, so it never disrupted my schedule," Vijay said. He said the airport had been extremely convenient for him and many other residents, but added that he was also happy to see Visakhapatnam moving towards a new phase of development. Uma, who has been travelling through the airport since 2007 while living in the Gulf, said she shared a strong emotional connection with the facility. "We are very much attached to this airport. We have been travelling since 2007 because we are staying in the Gulf, and frequently we used to come two or three times a year. We have a lot of attachment to this airport, and it is in the heart of the city," she said. She added that the new airport's distance from the city would make travel less convenient for some residents. "We are feeling very bad. It's going very far for us. That's why we came to see it one last time. We will be missing this airport very much," she said. Several passengers welcomed the relocation and expressed hope that the new airport would offer improved facilities and greater connectivity. Satish, who said he had travelled through the old airport for nearly 20 years, described the transition as both emotional and exciting. "We are very excited that from tomorrow, the new airport is launching in Visakhapatnam. Having travelled for 20 years through the same old airport, this is really an emotional moment. But for the people of Visakhapatnam, with new companies coming in and new facilities similar to Hyderabad International Airport, we are looking forward to this new airport," he said. Pooja, who was travelling from Bengaluru to Visakhapatnam, said the relocation was necessary from a development and security perspective. "It was a great experience for me. It's our hometown, and the airport is really wonderful. But for development purposes, for our Army's safety and for more international facilities, we need to transfer the airport. As a Visakhapatnam civilian, we are supporting the government," she said. Kiran said the existing airport's location in the city had resulted in congestion and left limited scope for expansion. "Major cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru have large international airports, but Vizag currently lacks an airport of that scale. Since the existing airport is located in the city centre, it faces congestion and has limited scope for expansion. Moving the project to Bhogapuram is a necessary step as the city expands," he said. For Saroj Chelluri, the final day marked the end of a deeply personal association with the airport. "Today, I would like to say goodbye to the airport that holds so many memories. As I land here for the last time, I cannot help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia," he said. Recalling his tenure at Simhadri Thermal Plant, Chelluri said he had frequently travelled to Delhi through the airport and had also received several guests and senior officials there. "This airport has witnessed so many chapters of my life. I received many guests for my housewarming in Madhurawada. I also welcomed several VIPs, including ministers, senior officials, MPs and MLAs. We welcomed them all here, and this was the airport from where they travelled onwards," he said. Some residents also expressed concerns over accessibility to the new airport. The shift of civil flight operations marks a major transition for Visakhapatnam, with the new airport expected to provide expanded infrastructure and connectivity. At the same time, passengers' emotional farewell to the old facility and the concerns raised by workers highlight the human side of the transition. The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1. The Greenfield airport is designed to handle six million passengers annually. (ANI)
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