Vijayawada Airport Seeks DGCA Approval for New ATC Tower Operations.

Following the successful completion of a 30-day trial run of the newly constructed Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at Vijayawada Airport, the Airports Authority of India has formally approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking approval to begin full-scale operations from the new facility.

The new ATC tower, built at a cost of ₹90 crore, has been developed to enhance flight operational efficiency at the airport. For the past month, airport authorities conducted simultaneous operations from both the existing and newly built towers to ensure seamless transition and validate live air traffic management systems.

Officials said the trial phase was completed successfully without any operational disruptions. “We have successfully conducted live air traffic management from the new ATC tower for the last 30 days. Based on successful trials, we have written to DGCA seeking approval to shift operations to the new tower,” said Vijayawada Airport ATC Assistant General Manager Vamsi Krishna.

He added that a DGCA team is expected to visit the airport for an on-ground assessment before granting final clearance for operational transition. Approval is anticipated within two months, subject to inspection and compliance review.

The construction of the new ATC tower and an associated G+2 operational building began in 2023 and was completed in about two-and-a-half years, marking a key infrastructure upgrade aimed at strengthening air traffic management capacity at the airport.