TIRUPATI: Tirupati international airport has been notified as an authorised entry point for foreign nationals holding Indian e‑Visas, the Union Home Ministry said on Monday, a move that formally gives the facility an international entry status even as scheduled international flights remain absent.
What the notification changes
The ministry’s addition of Tirupati increases the number of designated e‑Visa entry points in India to 88. According to the notification, these include 37 airports, 38 seaports and 13 land ports. Tirupati MP Dr Maddila Gurumurthy welcomed the development as an important administrative step towards opening the airport to overseas travellers but emphasised that regular international connectivity would still depend on an airline operating from Tirupati.
- Authorised entry points now: 88 total — 37 airports, 38 seaports, 13 land ports.
- e‑Visa coverage: Facility expanded from its 2014 introduction for 43 countries to availability for 172 countries across 17 categories.
- Processing statistics cited: Around 95% of e‑Visa applications are processed within 72 hours; about 78% of visas issued by India are electronic.
Economic and operational caveats
Local stakeholders and the MP said the notification does not by itself create scheduled international services. Discussions are reported to be under way with carriers including IndiGo and Air India Express about launching flights from Tirupati, but both carriers have sought viability gap funding to defray initial losses and support route launches.
Dr Maddila Gurumurthy described the notification as an important step towards opening the airport to overseas travellers, while noting that regular international connectivity would depend on an airline operating from Tirupati.
For now, foreign devotees holding valid e‑Visas can use Tirupati airport as an authorised point of entry only if an international service is available. Until regular international flights commence, overseas visitors typically arrive at Chennai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad and travel to Tirupati by road or domestic connection.
Background and local significance
The Union Cabinet cleared Tirupati airport for international status in 2008, and a formal Gazette notification was issued in 2017. Despite that, the airport has not seen a scheduled international service in the years since the Gazette notification; the source notes the airport remained without such services nearly nine years after the 2017 notice.
Authorities and representatives framed the e‑Visa authorisation as particularly meaningful for Tirupati because the city receives pilgrims from multiple countries for visits to Tirumala. Making the airport an official e‑Visa entry point reduces travel friction in principle, but the practical benefit hinges on carriers' commercial decisions and any financial support they require to start operations.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total e‑Visa entry points | 88 |
| Breakdown (air/seaport/land) | 37 / 38 / 13 |
| Countries covered by e‑Visa | 172 |
| Processing within 72 hours | ~95% |
Local business groups and tourism operators are likely to monitor progress in talks with airlines and any central or state incentives that might be announced to make routes viable. For residents and pilgrims, the change streamlines the entry formalities on paper; the immediate travel pattern, however, will remain governed by the availability of international flight schedules to Tirupati.
Officials and airline representatives were not quoted in detail in the reporting available, and further steps — including any decisions on viability gap funding or carrier commitments — remain to be announced.
