Vizag airport likely to resume partial operation on October 18

Operations at the city airport, badly affected by cyclone 'Hudhud' which struck on Sunday, is expected to be partially restored on October 18, officials said today.

Restoration work at the airport, which was in a shambles after the cyclone that damaged the passenger terminals and blew off rooftops, is going on in full swing, a civil aviation ministry official said.

The loss to airport infrastructure alone has been pegged at Rs 75 crore to Rs 80 crore, he said. Loss of revenue from operations was not yet known. The airport, which handles 20 domestic and international flights, caters to almost a million passengers annually.

There was no damage to air traffic control (ATC) facility, the official said, adding, it would take about three months to restore the airport to its original state. Private airlines also suffered huge losses following cancellation of flights, he added.