Tirupati Airport

Tirupati Airport (IATA: TIR, ICAO: VOTP)[3] is a domestic airport in Renigunta, a part of Tirupati, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.[4] The airport has been granted an upgrade to international by the Government of India.[5] It is 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away from National Highway 71 (Previously NH-205)[6] and 16 km (9.9 mi) from north Tirupati and 39 km (24 mi) from Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.

Tirupati Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesTirupati
LocationRenigunta, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Elevation AMSL107 m / 350 ft
Coordinates13°38′16″N 079°32′50″E
Websitewww.aai.aero/en/airports/tirupati
Map
TIR
TIR
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 2,286 7,500 Asphalt
Statistics (Apr 2019 - Mar 2020)
Passenger movements8,34,984(0.1%)
Aircraft movements9,699(8.4%)
Source: AAI[1][2]

History

Tirupati Airport was commissioned in the year 1971.[6] In 1993, then Prime Minister of India P. V. Narasimha Rao laid the foundation stone for a new terminal building, runway expansion and a radio tower at a cost of ₹110 million (US$1.5 million). The upgraded airport was opened for passenger traffic in 1999 by then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Tirupati Airport was declared an international airport by the Government of India in June 2017.[7] In order to meet the demands of the anticipated International traffic and International chartered flights, AAI took up expansion of the airport to make it suitable for Code-E type of aircraft.[6] Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for the project on 20 February 2019.[8] Upgrading the airport to Code E will also enable the airport to serve as a diversion airport for the two neighbouring metropolitan International airports of Bengaluru and Chennai, in case of emergencies. The existing runway will be extended extended to 3,810 m (12,500 ft). A new apron to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft would also be built and the work is expected to be completed by February 2020.[9]


Facilities

Terminal

A new integrated terminal referred to as Garuda Terminal was constructed adjacent to the existing domestic terminal in an area of 16,500 square metres (178,000 sq ft) at a cost of ₹1.75 billion (US$25 million). It can handle 500 domestic and 200 international passengers at a time.[10] The foundation stone was laid in October 2010 by Manmohan Singh, then Prime Minister of India.[11][12] Construction began in 2012,[13] and the terminal was inaugurated on 22 October 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[14] The new terminal has 18 check-in-counters, four immigration counters, four baggage conveyors for arrival and one for departure, three baggage claim carousels, two VIP lounges, and parking area for 250 cars.

Runway

The airport has one runway numbered 8/26 which is 2,286 m (7,500 ft). Extension work on the runway has been taken up and the current runway will be extended to 3,810 m (12,500 ft).[9]

Airlines and destinations
Jet Airways and Air India aircraft on the apron at the Tirupati airport
AirlinesDestinations
Air IndiaDelhi, Hyderabad[15]
Alliance AirHyderabad[15]
IndiGoBangalore, Hyderabad, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Rajahmundry ,[16] Vijayawada.[17] [18]
SpiceJetHyderabad, Mumbai[19]
Star Air Hubli[20]
TruJetBelgaum,[21] Hyderabad [22]

Incidents

On 15 November 1993, Indian Airlines Flight 440 (IC-440), an Airbus 300B2 (registered VT-EDV), operating on a scheduled flight from Madras (now Chennai) to Hyderabad, crashed into the paddy fields near Tirupati Airport. It had been diverted due to poor weather and ran out of fuel. There were no major injuries, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[23][24][25]

On 29 January 2019, Air India flight AI 541 from Tirupati to New Delhi via Hyderabad suffered damages after "foreign objects" from the runway hit the underside and wings of the flight during take-off. While the underside just suffered scratches, the wings suffered heavy damage. However, the flight safely landed in Hyderabad and there were no casualties.

See also

References
  1. "Traffic News for the month of March 2020: Annexure-III" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 22 May 2020. p. 3. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. "Traffic News for the month of March 2020: Annexure-II" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 22 May 2020. p. 3. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  3. "Vijayawada, Tirupati airports get global tag". The Hindu. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  4. "Tirupati International Airport" (PDF). Aviation Authority of India.
  5. Press Trust of India. "No foreign flights at Tirupati, Vijaywada airports after international tag | Business Standard News". Business-standard.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  6. AAI. "Pre Feasibility report" (PDF). EnvironmentalClearance.nic.in. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  7. "eGazette - Tirupati International Airport" (PDF). egazette. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  8. "Stone laid for Renigunta airport runway expansion". The Hindu Business Line. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  9. "Tirupati airport runway expansion work takes off". The Hindu. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new terminal of Tirupati airport tomorrow". The Economic Times. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  11. "PM Lays Foundation Stone for New Integrated Terminal at Tirupati Airport". Press Information Bureau. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  12. "Int'l status for Tirupati airport still a dream". New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  13. "Complete works before Oct. 15: AAI Chairman". The Hindu. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  14. "Govt determined to strengthen tourism infrastructure: PM". The Hindu. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  15. "Air India and Alliance Air timetable". airindia.in. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  16. "IndiGo to commence Tirupati-Rajahmundry service in Mar-2020". CAPA. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  17. "IndiGo to commence Tirupati-Vijayawada service in Mar-2020". CAPA. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  18. "IndiGo flight schedule". goindigo.in. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  19. "SpiceJet flight schedule". SpiceJet. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  20. "Star Air: Hubli to Tirupati and Bengaluru". twitter.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  21. "TruJet to commence four UDAN services at Belgaum Airport in Jan-2020". CAPA. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  22. "Trujet World Schedule" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  23. "Blowing the wind". Telegraph India. 17 October 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  24. "Major air crashes in India in two decades". New Indian Express. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  25. Civil aviation accident summary (PDF). DGCA (Report). 22 May 2010.
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