Thanks to the efforts of AP CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Vizag will soon get INS Viraat, the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world, once it is decommissioned by the Indian Navy at Mumbai in the next few months.
As per the senior officials at the AP tourism department, Babu edged out a tough competition from Karnataka to get the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s nod to make Vizag as the final resting place for INS Viraat. And Babu already has grand plans for INS Viraat to make it a major tourist attraction. Initially, the officials wanted to turn INS Viraat into a museum.
However, after realizing that it won’t be enough for revenue generation, plans are now being chalked out to set up spacious conference halls, luxurious 5 star and 7 star hotels and resorts in 500 rooms on the aircraft carrier.
While Kakinada and Vizag were in race to host INS Viraat, Vizag stole the advantage with prospects of better revenue thanks to its airport connectivity. Also, Vizag being the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, getting any sort of technical help from the navy becomes easier, opined the AP tourism department officials.
INS Viraat is a conventional steam propelled ship which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987. The ship spreads across an overall length of 227 metres and 46 metres breadth and it is capable of carrying 30 aircraft.