According to Boominathan, the Hyderabad-Tirupati-Vijayawada-Tirupati-Hyderabad service will operate four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flight will arrive at Tirupati from Hyderabad at 7:40 a.m., depart for Vijayawada at 8:05 a.m. and reach the city at 9:15 a.m. It will leave Vijayawada at 9:45 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 10:50 a.m. — File Image

Regional airline FLY91 has started flights from Thursday, linking the pilgrim city of Tirupati to Vijayawada and Rajahmundry in AP. Both the flights are via Hyderabad.

Union Civil Aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu virtually inaugurated the inaugural flight from Tirupati International Airport near Renigunta. The airport received the new flight with the customary water cannon salute by the Airports Authority of India’s Fire department.

Tirupati Airport director D. Boominathan handed over the first boarding pass to a passenger. The inaugural flight received the water-cannon salute once again on its arrival at Vijayawada. Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao and Vijayawada Airport director M. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy received the flight along with other officials.

According to Boominathan, the Hyderabad-Tirupati-Vijayawada-Tirupati-Hyderabad service will operate four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flight will arrive at Tirupati from Hyderabad at 7:40 a.m., depart for Vijayawada at 8:05 a.m. and reach the city at 9:15 a.m. It will leave Vijayawada at 9:45 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 10:50 a.m.

The Hyderabad-Tirupati-Rajahmundry-Tirupati-Hyderabad service will operate three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It will arrive at Tirupati from Hyderabad at 7:40 a.m., depart at 8:05 a.m., and reach Rajahmundry at 9:30 a.m. The return flight will leave Rajahmundry at 10 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 11.25 a.m.

FLY91 will also operate a daily service between Tirupati and Hyderabad.

Speaking at the inaugural event, Rammohan Naidu said Tirupati is one of the country’s major pilgrimage centres, attracting thousands of devotees from different parts of the country every day. The new air services would provide faster and more convenient travel options for devotees, he pointed out.

The Civil Aviation minister said he is making efforts to establish direct air connectivity between Tirupati and international destinations, such as Kuwait.

FLY91 founder, managing director and CEO Manoj Chacko said Tirupati is an important addition to the airline’s network that strengthens regional connectivity across Andhra Pradesh. He said the services would cater to pilgrims as well as students, business travellers, and tourists.

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