The construction of the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) of the Vijayawada International Airport is going on at a snail’s pace.
The foundation stone for the ₹611-crore project was laid in December 2018 and the works began shortly after.
However, the progress of the work was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Even as the construction gained pace in 2021, about 20% of the works pertaining to the four-lane approach road, terminal building, apron and others were completed as of May 2022. Sources say that only 40% of the work has been completed as of May 2023.
March 2023 was fixed as the deadline for the project initially. But, the works were delayed by more than a year due to various reasons. As per the latest target, the project is supposed to be completed by June 2024.
The new building will have domestic and international terminals under one roof. It can accommodate 400 international passengers and 800 domestic passengers during peak hours. At present, the terminal building, which is being used for domestic operations, is away from the airstrip and passengers have to be ferried to the runway in a bus. The new terminal building has been designed to be an energy-efficient structure.
The NITB, spreading over 35,000 square metres of area, will have 24 check-in counters and eight gates, besides 14 immigration counters, three customs counters and five baggage belts and aerobridges. The facility will have sufficient parking space for 1,250 four-wheelers. Airport Director M. Lakshmikanth Reddy said that efforts were being made to speed up the works and meet the deadline.
Meanwhile, the construction of a flyover over the National Highway adjacent to the airport is going on at a brisk pace. The project aims at easing traffic congestion at the entrance to the airport. Once the NITB is completed, the main entrance of the airport will be set up near Kesarapalli village junction.
