On Thursday, IndiGo introduced new flight routes from Vijayawada to Varanasi and Kolkata, a move celebrated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry. The ceremony took place at Vijayawada International Airport, where the minister joined virtually and the MP was present in person.
The new service uses flight 6E6501, which departs Kolkata at 2:10 PM, lands in Varanasi at 3:55 PM, and reaches Vijayawada by 5:50 PM. The return flight, 6E6502, leaves Vijayawada at 6:20 PM, arrives in Varanasi at 8:15 PM, and finishes its journey in Kolkata at 10:15 PM.
These flights will run three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The schedule is designed to cater to both business and leisure travellers.
During the inaugural run, 89 passengers boarded at Vijayawada from Varanasi, while 129 passengers departed from Vijayawada to Varanasi. The airport authority noted the strong response from passengers.
MP Balashowry highlighted that the new link will benefit people of Andhra Pradesh for spiritual, commercial, educational, medical and tourism purposes, especially those traveling to Varanasi and Kolkata.
He also urged the minister to add direct international flights from Vijayawada to Dubai and to launch a route to Kochi. Balashowry said a Dubai connection would ease global travel for locals and open links to Africa, the Americas and Europe.
Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao attended the launch in person. They presented the first boarding passes to passengers on the inaugural flight.
Minister Naidu congratulated IndiGo and said the Ministry is working to expand Vijayawada’s connectivity further. He mentioned new routes to Pune, Ahmedabad and Cochin will be added soon.
Naidu also announced plans for a Hub‑and‑Spoke system, where Vijayawada airport would act as a spoke to major international hubs. Passengers would clear customs and immigration at Vijayawada before transferring to connecting flights.
The minister added that a new integrated terminal building, reflecting local art and culture, will be completed as soon as possible.
Future plans include seaplane operations from Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam, Hussain Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar, expanding regional travel options.
Sivanath said the Varanasi service satisfies a long‑standing demand of local residents and requested flights to Cochin to serve Sabarimala pilgrims.