First Test Flight Lands at Bhogapuram International Airport

The inaugural test flight successfully landed at the newly constructed Bhogapuram International Airport on January 4, 2026, signalling a major advancement in aviation for the region. The Alluri Sitarama Raju Greenfield International Airport is on track to commence operations on June 26, 2026, with 97% of the construction completed, pending only minor civil and interior works.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his congratulations to the citizens of the state, particularly those in Uttarandhra, on this significant achievement. "Today marks a new milestone for aviation in the state, strengthening regional connectivity and giving a major boost to Uttarandhra as the region prepares to take off. I thank Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for his vision, leadership, and commitment to the progress of Andhra Pradesh," he stated.

The airport, which is the second greenfield airport in India following the one in Mumbai, has been engineered to endure severe cyclonic conditions. It is designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 275 kilometres per hour and rainfall of 27 centimetres. This resilience is crucial given the region's susceptibility to extreme weather events.

GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Limited, is overseeing the development of Bhogapuram Airport as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The airport is set to accommodate an initial capacity of six million passengers annually, with plans to expand this to handle up to 45 million passengers in subsequent phases.

Strategically located at the border of Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts, the airport is approximately 45 kilometres from Visakhapatnam via National Highway 16 and 25 kilometres from Vizianagaram through NH-43. The site’s prime location on the east coast positions it well to serve a large catchment area.

Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the airport's inauguration has been expedited ahead of the original June 2026 schedule. Following a review in November 2025, it was confirmed that 91.7% of the construction work had been completed at that time.

The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2015, when Ashok Gajapati Raju served as the Minister of Civil Aviation and N Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The central government granted all necessary permissions in 2016, leading to the acquisition of 2,700 acres for the airport's construction. Although the project faced delays and was initially planned for completion in 2023, it is now nearing readiness for commercial operations in mid-2026.