IndiGo will launch a new flight service connecting Vijayawada with Varanasi and Kolkata from August 13, 2026. The three-times-a-week service is expected to improve air connectivity between Andhra Pradesh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, while supporting pilgrimage, business and tourism travel.
Service Begins August 13
This new route will operate on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It will link Vijayawada International Airport with Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, the same aircraft then continuing on to Kolkata.
The service will be flown under flight numbers 6E 6501 and 6E 6502. The route structure will provide passengers with the direct link to fly between Vijayawada and Varanasi, besides being a one-stop air connection between Vijayawada and Kolkata via Varanasi.
Flight Schedule
| Sector | Flight | Departure | Arrival | Days |
| Varanasi–Vijayawada | 6E 6501 | 3:55 p.m. | 5:50 p.m. | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| Vijayawada–Varanasi | 6E 6502 | 6:20 p.m. | 8:15 p.m. | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| Vijayawada–Kolkata via Varanasi | 6E 6502 | 6:20 p.m. | 10:15 p.m. | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| Kolkata–Vijayawada via Varanasi | 6E 6501 | 2:10 p.m. | 5:50 p.m. | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
Passengers travelling between Vijayawada and Kolkata should check their itinerary carefully because the service operates through Varanasi rather than as a nonstop flight.
Better Access to Varanasi
The new Vijayawada–Varanasi link is expected to facilitate hassle-free travel to Kashi from Andhra Pradesh and the surrounding regions. Varanasi, for instance, is one of the most important pilgrimage destination in India. Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Ganga ghats are popular religious and cultural sites.
The service can enhance the experiences on major religious occasions, festival times and pilgrimage seasons. It can also avoid transferring between airports, as well as ease travelling with families and senior travel.
Connectivity to Kolkata
The extension to Kolkata adds another important eastern India connection to Vijayawada’s air network. Kolkata is a major centre for commerce, education, healthcare, culture and tourism.
The new service may benefit:
- Business travellers between Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
- Students travelling to educational institutions.
- Tourists visiting eastern India.
- Families travelling between the two states.
- Pilgrims combining Varanasi with other religious destinations.
- Passengers seeking an alternative to longer connecting itineraries.
By linking Vijayawada, Varanasi and Kolkata on one route, IndiGo is creating a useful travel corridor between southern and eastern parts of the country.
Benefits for Vijayawada Airport
New service will further make Vijayawada International Airport as an important centre in regional aviation It can cater passengers from Krishna, Guntur, Eluru, NTR and surround districts through direct links to north Indian cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad and east Indian cities including Kolkata and Ranchi.
More connections may also boost passenger preference for air travel, in lieu of domestic long-distance rail or road travel. It has the potential to boost intra- and inter-regional tourism, trade and investment because it makes the region more accessible.
Boost to Tourism and Business
The route is likely to cater for faith related, commercial and leisure travel. The circuit of Varanasi, Kolkata and Vijayawada has identified multiple passenger demand drivers (Varanasi − pilgrimage, Kolkata as a centre for culture & entertainment and Vijaywada helping in its economic development).
Improved access to Andhra Pradesh’s tourism circuit involving Vijayawada, Amaravati, Mangalagiri and nearby destinations would also benefit tourists from northern and eastern India. Travellers from Andhra Pradesh, at the same time, will have a relatively hassle-free route to Kolkata’s heritage areas, museums and temples and destinations near the city.
What Travellers Should Know
It will not be a daily route, and passengers should check around the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday service. The travellers booked for Kolkata should also spare time in Varanasi and check if the baggage, boarding and connectivity arrangements when booking.
Your travel dates, demand and the time of booking may result in different airfares and availability. It is recommended that passengers verify final schedule with IndiGo before travelling, especially in the initial phase of launch.
A Strategic Domestic Expansion
IndiGo’s introduction of the new Vijayawada–Varanasi–Kolkata route is a response to the demand for direct and regional air services beyond India’s globally-connected mega metros. Along with a connection between a major Andhra Pradesh airport and one of India’s top pilgrimage centres comes the route linking from and to India’s biggest east coastal commercial city.
The service, from August 13, will give passengers a new travel option and will help to boost economic ties as well as cultural and religious links between southern, northern and eastern India.