Andhra Pradesh allows bar licences at state airports, except Tirupati

Andhra Pradesh will let airport restaurants and lounges serve alcohol. The state government issued guidelines Saturday for bar licences at airports across the state – but not Tirupati.

The decision follows a review by a Group of Ministers that looked at how Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Delhi's T3 terminal handle airport bar licences. The panel studied licence fees, business hours, serving points and counters before making recommendations.

The Director of Excise & Prohibition then submitted a proposal for bar licences at airports, Tirupati excluded, with a justification for the change. The state said it "carefully examined" the matter before issuing the guidelines.

The government order also calls for changes to the AP Excise (Grant of Licence of Selling by Bar and Conditions of Licence) Rules 2025 to align with the new policy. The amendments would formalise the framework for airport bar operations.

One name the state cites but does not expand on: Tirupati. The temple city's airport was excluded from the licence grant. The order lists it as an exception without giving a reason. The airport serves the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, one of India's busiest pilgrimage destinations, and the omission tracks the state's earlier restrictions on alcohol sales near religious sites.

The practical effect depends on which airports have the space and tenant interest. Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Gannavaram airports are the likeliest candidates. Each has a private terminal operator that could open a bar lounge, subject to the new licence rules and local excise office approval.

The order does not set a timeline for when the first airport bar could open. That will depend on how fast the excise department drafts the amended rules and how quickly airport operators apply.