Bhogapuram airport begins commercial operations with first IndiGo flight

Visakhapatnam Airport suspended flight operations from midnight on Sunday, with flight services commencing from the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport on Monday. The shift has prompted airport workers to raise concerns over their jobs and salaries, while passengers recalled their long association with the old airport.

A housekeeping worker, Ganditi Ramu, who has worked at the airport for 15 years, said the closure had left workers uncertain about their future.

"I have been working here for 15 years... The airport operations here are being shut down, and now there is no one to stand by us. We approached the authorities and our company management, but to no avail. I pleaded with Nara Lokesh and the Civil Aviation Minister. They said, 'We will see,' and left. I request PM Modi to please look into our concerns and help us. The airport department is not responding, and the authorities are not taking action. The management is not responding to our concerns, and neither are Nara Lokesh, Deputy CM, Chandrababu Naidu, or the Civil Aviation Minister..." Ramu said.

Another housekeeping worker, Sunita, said employees were struggling to manage their families following the closure.

"We have not received any money or job offers. We all have families and children. Our situation is dire; we have no food, water, or housing. All the staff members are in tears...They said they would not pay our salaries for the last 15 days. We are unable to find other jobs because of our age..." she said.

While workers expressed concerns over their future, passengers at the airport recalled their memories of the move to the new airport.

Dr Vijay, who has been travelling through the airport for 15 years, said the old airport had been extremely convenient for him.

"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. From boarding to total time spent, the whole process used to take just around 45 minutes, so it never disrupted my schedule. I've been travelling through this airport for the last 15 years, and it has been extremely convenient for us. While moving to the new international airport makes us a bit emotional, we are also happy to see Vizag expanding and developing to the next level. Still, saying goodbye to this airport is definitely an emotional moment for us," he said.

Uma, who has been travelling through the airport since 2007, said she was deeply attached to the facility because of its location in the heart of the city.

"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. So we have a lot of attachment to this airport, and it is in the heart of the city, actually. Now we are feeling very bad... It's very far for us. That's why we came to see it here today. Especially since this is the last day, that's why we came to see this airport once again.