Bhogapuram Airport to Start Commercial Flight Service from August 17: GMR

The newly inaugurated Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, near Visakhapatnam, will begin commercial flight operations from August 17, with an initial annual passenger handling capacity of six million, GMR Group said.

When was the airport inaugurated and by whom?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the airport on August 1. GMR said the facility has been completed several months ahead of schedule, marking Bhogapuram as the second greenfield airport in India to become operational this year, after Uttar Pradesh’s Jewar airport, which commenced flight operations on June 15.

What is the scale and structure of the Bhogapuram airport project?

Spread across 2,200 acres in Andhra Pradesh, the airport has been developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited under a Public-Private Partnership model, using the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer framework. While the initial annual passenger handling capacity stands at six million, GMR said this will be scaled up to 40 million as demand grows.

What role does this play in GMR Group’s airport portfolio?

GMR Airports Limited, part of GMR Group, already operates six airports across India and has now developed three greenfield airports, at Hyderabad, Goa and Bhogapuram, reinforcing the group’s expanding footprint in the country’s airport infrastructure sector.

What impact is the airport expected to have on the region?

Located in Vizianagaram district, the airport is expected to strengthen air connectivity for Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, positioning north Andhra Pradesh as a growing hub for trade, tourism and industrial activity, with the region’s existing Visakhapatnam civil enclave having faced longstanding capacity constraints due to limited runway movements.