Mumbai : The Visakhapatnam Airport in Andhra Pradesh will begin international operations once the Indian Navy gives its nod as three international airlines are ready to operate flights from the industrial hub of the state.

According to a report, sources said that the hitch is over timings of the flights. While the international airlines - Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Silk Airways - are asking for night slot i.e. after 11 pm till early in the morning, the airport currently functions only between 8 am and 8 pm because of the restrictions imposed by the Indian Navy on night operations.

The Indian Naval authorities claim that it is not possible for them to operate night flights due to insufficient manpower and other logistics. Since Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Silk Airways, are keen to operate services from the port city to Sharjah, Dubai and Singapore are in a dilemma.

D Varada Reddy, President, Air Travellers' Association (India) said that several private airlines are willing to operate domestic and international flights from Vizag. However, lack of night operating facilities is a major stumbling block.

The airport, which is under the control of the Indian Navy, handles 12 domestic services to cater to the needs of north coastal districts and the neighbouring districts of Orissa and some parts of Chhattisgarh. According sources, Air Arabia wants to operate its Sharjah-Vizag-Sharjah service in the early hours. The tentative schedule is that the flight would arrive from Sharjah at 4.30 am and leave Vizag at 6 am.

Fly Dubai Airlines, which has plans to run a direct flight to Dubai from Vizag, has asked for 12 am-2 pm time slot. Officials of Silk Airways, which has been evincing keen interest to operate flights since a year, visited the airport and even conducted a feasible study also. It wants to operate the Singapore-Vizag-Singapore flight between 1 am and 2 am.

However, the Indian Navy said that it does not have sufficient skilled manpower to operate the air traffic control. Currently, 97 personnel man the Vizag Airport through Navy's INS Dega establishment. Sources said a requisition to sanction another 320 trained manpower has been sent to the civil aviation authorities.

Sources said six new flights are in the pipeline and waiting for clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Indian Navy. SpiceJet is planning to operate Chennai-Vizag-Kolkata, while JetLite is planning Kolkata-Vizag- Kolkata flight. Jet Airways has a proposal to run Boeing-737 in Mumbai-Vizag-Mumbai and Delhi- Vizag-Delhi sectors.