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Vijayawada airport to be expanded

Work on the Rs 160 million airport expansion project in Vijayawada would be completed by June 1998, Airports Authority of India sources said today.

During the first phase, costing Rs 80 million, the 5,925-foot-long runway would be strengthened and recarpeted, besides laying a new taxiway and an apron.

The second phase would involve extension of the runway up to 7,000 feet to enable bigger aircraft like the Airbus 320 to land. A new terminal building will also be built to provide check-in, baggage clearance and other facilities to the passengers.

The scheduled flight operations at the airport had been suspended for the past two years due to lack of full-fledged facilities and commercial viability for airlines.

Indian Airlines and other private airlines might consider restarting their operations with a reduced load once the first phase is completed, the sources added.

UNI

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