Bhogapuram Airport Ready For Opening by End of July
Aerodrome licence issued, says aviation minister
Visakhapatnam: Civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has announced that the Alluri Sitarama Raju Bhogapuram International Airport is ready for inauguration as the aerodrome licence has been issued.
Inspecting the airport on Tuesday, the minister said the chief minister’s office has approached the Prime Minister's Office to finalise a date for the inauguration. The event, by the end of this month, is likely to be attended by Narendra Modi.
Addressing the media, Ram Mohan described the airport as a world-class facility built through the joint efforts of the central government, the Andhra Pradesh government and GMR. The project, originally targeted for completion by December 2026, is ready for operations nearly six months ahead of schedule.
Extensive verification processes, he said, had been carried out over the past month before the aerodrome licence was issued. Once inaugurated, full-scale commercial flight operations would begin within a week.
Designed to handle 40 million passengers annually, the airport features a 78,000-square-metre terminal building inspired by the shape of a flying fish.
According to the minister, the interiors and exteriors reflect the culture and heritage of north Andhra while the airport offers facilities comparable to those at major metropolitan airports.
He said the airport would serve as a major catalyst for the development of north Andhra, generating employment and boosting sectors such as tourism, aviation, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals and exports.
On connectivity between the airport and Visakhapatnam, he said seven major road links are being developed to ensure seamless access to Bhogapuram. Plans are also under way for a six-lane coastal corridor connecting RK Beach in Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram.
The Union minister said a dedicated cargo terminal would be built with an annual handling capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes that would support exports of seafood, pharmaceuticals, mangoes as also horticultural and agricultural products.
Bhogapuram, he stressed, would emerge as an international aviation hub with dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and an Edu City aimed at creating employment opportunities for local youth.
Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu and MLA Lokam Madhavi were present.
