Bhogapuram Airport has been open for nearly a week, but air travellers are not showing much excitement. The main reason appears to be the distance and the difficulty in reaching the airport.
Bhogapuram Airport is around 50 km from Visakhapatnam. For people living in Gajuwaka and areas beyond it, the distance can go up to 80 to 100 km. Because of this, reaching the airport itself feels like travelling from one city to another.
Heavy traffic, long travel time and parking charges at the airport are also adding to the inconvenience.
A large number of air passengers from North Andhra come from Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and nearby areas. For them, travelling all the way to Bhogapuram is becoming a major problem. Many feel that the journey to the airport is becoming more difficult than the actual flight journey.
Special RTC buses are being operated to the airport, but passengers are reportedly facing problems with timings. Taking a taxi to Bhogapuram is also expensive. Those travelling in their own cars have to deal with traffic as well as parking charges.
The biggest problem is the lack of proper connectivity roads to Bhogapuram Airport.
A road has been developed from Simhachalam to Anandapuram, but after that point, passengers still have to face regular traffic problems. Many feel that the situation will improve only after the Beach Corridor is developed and directly connected to Bhogapuram Airport.
The Detailed Project Report for the corridor has reportedly been approved, and works are expected to begin by the end of this year.
However, it remains to be seen when the Visakhapatnam-Bhogapuram Beach Corridor will actually become available to the public.
Until then, reaching Bhogapuram Airport may continue to be a difficult and costly journey for many passengers.
