Navy To Take Full Control of Visakhapatnam Airspace From July 9

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam’s aviation ecosystem, which originated as a Royal Air Force airstrip during World War II, is now on the brink of a major transition.

Starting July 9, the Indian Navy will be the designated authority for the restructured Visakhapatnam airspace and take full control of the facility.

Recent supplements to the Aeronautical Information Publication issued by the Airports Authority of India confirm that this change aligns with the ongoing integration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju Greenfield International Airport at Bhogapuram into India’s eastern Air Traffic Service network.

This marks a crucial step toward separating civil and military operations in the region.

While the Navy will oversee Visakhapatnam’s airspace, civil air traffic service (ATS) routes that pass through the restructured Temporary Reserved Areas will still be accessible for flight planning, subject to clearance and activation protocols.

The airfield’s civil aviation journey commenced in 1962, with the naval operations beginning in 1972.

The ownership was formally transferred to the Navy in 1986 and the facility was commissioned as INS Dega in 1991. Despite expansions such as a new runway in 2007 and a passenger terminal in 2009, the dual-use model has increasingly struggled with congestion between civil and military traffic.

The decision to structurally separate operations is driven by both strategic necessity and the growing demand for civilian air capacity in eastern India.

The Bhogapuram airport is designed as a scalable aviation hub, equipped with advanced navigational systems like the BHZ DVOR/DME and four-tiered control areas. The Class D airspace designated as CTA-1 will serve as the foundation for approach control, with a base limit of FL155/5500 feet above mean sea level.

The restructuring has also transformed the airway architecture. Five new ATS routes, V40, V50, V63, W32, and W89, have been introduced, while several existing corridors, including V9, W29, W41, W47, and W90, have been modified.

The J26 airway has been rerouted via the BHZ beacon toward ENVUK, ensuring smoother traffic distribution and bypassing naval zones. As civilian traffic transitions to Bhogapuram, Visakhapatnam’s control areas will fall under exclusive naval jurisdiction, with new military zones replacing the previously withdrawn temporarily reserved areas.

Civil aircraft entering these zones will require clearance from the Visakhapatnam air traffic control. During Bhogapuram's non-operational hours, airspace management will shift to the Kolkata or Chennai area control centres, depending on the applicable Flight Information Region.

Although cargo-handling facilities at Bhogapuram are not yet operational, fueling infrastructure has been established. A Jet A1 hydrant and bowser system with a storage capacity of 8,385km has been set up by HPCL, ensuring readiness for high-capacity airline operations.