Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, popularly known as Chinni, has raised a red flag over the sky-high cost of air travel between Vijayawada and Hyderabad. He has urgently appealed to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, to introduce narrow-body or wide-body aircraft on this busy route at the earliest.
The Core Issue: ATRs and Exorbitant Fares
In a formal representation submitted on Monday, the first day of the winter Parliament session in New Delhi, the MP pinpointed the exclusive use of ATR aircraft as the root cause of passenger woes. He stated that travellers are currently forced to pay fares as high as Rs 18,000 for this short domestic hop. Shockingly, this is more than double the approximate Rs 7,000 fare for an international ticket from Vijayawada to Singapore.
"Despite the steep pricing, seats are often unavailable, causing significant inconvenience and financial strain," Sivanath highlighted in his submission. The limited cargo capacity of ATR planes further compounds the problem, frequently leading to passenger luggage being offloaded and sent on later flights. This results in delays, missed appointments, and considerable distress, particularly for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) using the route.
Broader Impact on Regional Connectivity
The MP argued that restricting this high-demand route to ATR operations hampers seamless connectivity and creates a logistical nightmare for investors, officials, and the general public. He emphasized that several parliamentary constituencies, including Eluru, Guntur, Narasaraopeta, and Machilipatnam, depend heavily on the Vijayawada Airport for air travel.
Deploying larger aircraft, Sivanath contended, would not only solve the fare and luggage issues but also significantly improve regional air connectivity. The move would better serve the economic and travel needs of a large population in Andhra Pradesh.
Call for Expanded Domestic Network
Going beyond the immediate crisis, the Vijayawada MP also urged Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to enhance overall domestic connectivity from Vijayawada Airport. He proposed the launch of new flight services from Vijayawada to key Indian cities such as Varanasi, Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Goa.
On receiving the representation, Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu responded positively to the MP's concerns. He assured that the issues raised would be addressed and resolved on a priority basis, offering hope to frequent flyers on the route.
