Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who conducted a survey of the Visakhapatnam airport on Thursday, confirmed that the operations will resume on Friday.
Gajapathi, who assessed the situation here in the aftermath of very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud, said it is important to make the airport functional as Vizag is a key destination. He added that Air India and other airlines will be resuming the operations from Friday.
"Air India is restoring tomorrow flights from here to Hyderabad and Delhi. So, this is good, a step in the right direction and its happening. We are happy about it. Visakhapatnam is an important town in the country. It is an important port city also," he said.
Cyclone Hudhud has left a trail of destruction in Visakhapatnam and the residents are struggling to cope with the havoc as they are facing food, water and power shortages.
The cyclone smashed the coastline of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 12, killing at least 25 people. It ripped apart tens of thousands of mud-and-thatch homes, flattened rice, banana and sugarcane plantations and snapped electricity lines.
Visakhapatnam airport remained closed for commercial flights, after the roof of its main building was blown off by gusts of up to 195 kmph.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier on Tuesday announced an interim relief of Rs. 1,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh for the devastation caused by Cyclone Hudhud in Visakhapatnam and other coastal areas.
Prime Minister Modi, who made an aerial survey of the affected areas of both north coastal Andhra and Odisha, offered his deepest condolences to all those who lost their near and dear ones.
