Bhogapuram International Airport to Be Inaugurated on August 1 Says CM Chandrababu

The long awaited Bhogapuram International Airport is finally ready for its official launch, bringing a major infrastructure project for North Andhra closer to reality. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport on August 1, putting an end to speculation over the opening date.

Reviewing the progress of the airport project with senior officials on Saturday evening, the Chief Minister instructed authorities to organize the inaugural ceremony on a grand scale. He said the occasion should become a memorable event in the state’s history and described the airport as a landmark project that will transform the future of North Andhra.

According to Chandrababu, the new airport will strengthen the region’s economy by improving connectivity and supporting tourism, industries, ports and national highway networks. He expressed confidence that the project would accelerate development and help position North Andhra as one of the fastest growing regions in the state.

The airport has been developed near Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, around 45 kilometres from Visakhapatnam and close to National Highway 16. Spread across nearly 2200 acres, the greenfield airport has been constructed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited, a company of the GMR Group.

The first phase of the project has been completed at a cost of Rs 4592 crore. The terminal has the capacity to serve 6.3 million passengers every year. The long term master plan also includes future expansion, increasing annual passenger handling capacity to 12 million in the second phase and 18 million in the third phase as demand grows.

The Bhogapuram airport project has progressed through multiple governments over the years. Chandrababu had laid the foundation stone for the project in February 2019 during his previous tenure as Chief Minister. In September 2024, the airport was officially named Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport.

Civil aviation services currently operating from the INS Dega Naval Air Base in Visakhapatnam will be shifted to the new airport in phases after operations begin. The state government is also planning to develop an Aerotropolis around the airport, with experts expecting the project to create fresh opportunities for investment, employment and tourism across North Andhra.