Ranjeet Chittaluri, a key figure in the Saudi Arabia Telugu Association (SATA-Central), has urged both Sri Venkateswara Swamy devotees and expatriates from Rayalaseema, who are employed in large numbers across the Gulf nations, to advocate for Tirupati airport’s elevation to full operational international status.

Chittaluri emphasized that while Tirupati airport holds international airport status in name, it should also be upgraded to meet the operational standards required to benefit these devotees and the Rayalaseema expatriates. This appeal comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kuwait.

He expressed hope that the ongoing discussions regarding the weekly quota of 12,000 aircraft seats between Kuwait and India would be resolved during the visit, with the aim of increasing the quota to 28,000 seats. According to Chittaluri, enhancing air connectivity between the Gulf and Tirupati, along with Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, would significantly benefit the state.

Chittaluri further proposed that Kuwait-based Al Jazeera Airlines could initiate direct flights between Tirupati and six Gulf countries, utilizing its fleet of Airbus aircraft. He highlighted that this could be successfully implemented with the current runway capacity at Renigunta Airport. Additionally, he encouraged other Gulf airlines, as well as Air India, which boasts a strong connectivity network, to consider this possibility.

Drawing attention to the attention given to Ayodhya’s airport for Lord Ram’s visit, he stressed that similar focus should be directed towards Tirupati, home to Lord Venkateswara, a revered deity in the southern part of India.

Chittaluri also revealed that an action plan is being formulated with expatriates from Rayalaseema residing in countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. A meeting on the issue of international flights to Tirupati is scheduled to take place soon, and those interested in participating can contact the provided number, 00966559636179.