IndiGo launches new flight services from Vijayawada to Varanasi, Kolkata

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao handing over a boarding pass to a Varanasi-bound passenger, at the Vijayawada International Airport on Thursday. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu virtually launched IndiGo’s new flight operations on the Vijayawada-Varanasi-Kolkata sector on Thursday, August 13, 2026.Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rammohan Naidu announced that the Vijayawada airport would soon be connected to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Cochin. He also announced that a hub-and-spoke model of operations would begin soon, as part of which, the Vijayawada airport would serve as a spoke to major international hub airports. Passengers would benefit from completing all customs and immigration formalities directly at the Vijayawada International Airport before transferring flights at the hub, the Union Minister said.Mr. Rammohan Naidu noted that efforts were under way to complete the new integrated terminal building at the earliest. He also said that seaplane operations were being planned for Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam, Hussain Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar.On the first day, 89 passengers arrived at the airport from Varanasi, and 129 departed from the airport for Varanasi.Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao presented the first boarding passes to the passengers on the inaugural flight.ScheduleAccording to information from the airport authorities, the flights on this route are scheduled for three days a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.Flight 6E 6501 departs Kolkata at 2.15 p.m., arrives at Varanasi at 3.25 p.m., departs from Varanasi at 3.55 p.m. and arrives in Vijayawada at 5.50 p.m. Flight 6E 6502 departs Vijayawada at 6.20 p.m., arrives at Varanasi at 8.15 p.m., departs from Varanasi at 8.50 p.m. and arrives in Kolkata at 10.15 p.m. Published - August 13, 2026 09:12 pm IST