Chances of Vande Bharat flight coming to Tirupati bleak

Tirupati: Even though stranded Indians abroad started coming back to home country under government of India's Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), there is no possibility of any flight carrying them to Tirupati. Any international airport has to fulfil certain norms to get flights from abroad. It should have immigration officials, health officers and customs officials readily available before the arrival of any flight.

Despite the fact that Tirupati airport was accorded international status in June 2017, till now, it has not seen any international flight. By the time it got international status, immigration, customs and health wings were all set up there and the staff also were posted. With no flights from/to abroad are being operated since then, these wings have become non-functional and the staff were sent back to their parent departments.

During a review meeting held recently at Tirupati RDO office, officials have taken to the notice of the District Collector about the non-availability of immigration officials here. Efforts were on to bring these officials from Hyderabad airport, sources said. Because of only immigration issue, passengers bound for Rayalaseema districts may have to get down at other airports like Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai or Bengaluru and need to be brought here by the government itself by some other mode of transport.

According to one official, who preferred to be anonymous, under the norms, any passenger has to be quarantined at the same place where they undergo immigration. In such a case, it has to be seen how the district officials deal this issue as they have already made elaborate arrangements for their stay at both private and institutional quarantine centres.

As per the schedule announced by the government of India under phase II of Vande Bharat Mission, one flight from Kuwait has to reach Tirupati airport on May 21 at 9 pm. However, in all probability its destination may be changed to Vijayawada, which will get three flights from different destinations besides this. Unless, the immigration issue is sorted out, there is no possibility of any flight from abroad travelling to Tirupati.