Jyotiraditya Scindia flags off direct flight on Vishakhapatnam – Mumbai route

New Delhi: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister of State for Civil Aviation General Dr VK Singh (Retd.) along with Ministry of Civil Aviation's Secretary Pradeep Kharola virtually flagged off the first SpiceJet flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai. Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, MLA South Assembly Constituency (Telugu Desam) joined the event virtually from Vishakhapatnam airport. Ministry of Civil Aviation's Joint Secretary Usha Padhee, Airports Authority of India's (AAI) Chairman Sanjeev Kumar along with other senior officials of the MoCA and AAI were also present at the ceremony held at MoCA.

Currently, only the Air India group operates flights on the Vishakhapatnam – Mumbai route, and the additional flight has been a long pending demand of the natives. The additional flight by SpiceJet aligns with the objectives of the 'Sab Uden Sab Juden' initiative of the government of India that aims to strengthen aerial connectivity of Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities of the country. The Spicejet will deploy Boeing 737 aircraft on the Vishakhapatnam – Mumbai route. Moreover, under the 'Gati Shakti' plan of the government, all infrastructural developments will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.

Visakhapatnam, also popularly known as Vizag, is one of the oldest port cities in the country and is known for its picturesque beaches and serene landscape. The port of Visakhapatnam is renowned for being home to the oldest shipyard in India, and with a plethora of manmade wonders and natural spectacles. The place is famous for its Submarine Museum, Dolphin's Nose point, Kailasgiri Hill Park, Borra Caves, Araku Valley, Yarada beach, Katiki Waterfalls, Ikat Sarees, wooden toys, Kalamkari paintings. Visakhapatnam is a must-visit tourist destination in South India for its cultural richness and tourism vastness.

Speaking on the occasion the Minister said, "It's the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enable economic growth through better connectivity of not only metros of the country, but also of India's hidden jewels like Visakhapatnam. It gives me immense pleasure to announce that today we are launching direct flight connectivity from Visakhapatnam to India's financial capital – Mumbai".

"This will open up the potential for employment, tourism, better connectivity for students & will further act as an economic multiplier for Visakhapatnam. Through our policy of UDAN – Ude Desh Ka Aam NAgrik, better aerial connectivity is being pushed to the hinterlands of India. India is on a cusp of a travel revolution. The concept of high-volume travel at the low cost of travel is what this ministry represents. Moreover, today we are launching 38 more flights in various states of the country," Scindia added.

He further added, "Visakhapatnam is now connected with 10 cities with 302 aircraft movements as on date, and we plan to increase these numbers through various initiatives. We are committed to open new vistas & new avenues for the region. In a short span of 7 years, under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have gone from 60 airports in 2016 to 136 airports in 2021."

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