Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram on Saturday, July 13, 2026 [5].
The new aviation hub is designed to catalyze economic growth in the north-coastal region of Andhra Pradesh by establishing a gateway for logistics, manufacturing, and technology [2, 3].
Built by GMR, the facility represents a project cost of approximately Rs 5,000 crore [3]. Located in the Vizianagaram district, the airport is intended to replace the existing Visakhapatnam airport as the primary aviation center for the area [1, 2].
At its opening, the airport has an annual passenger handling capacity of six million people [1]. However, the infrastructure is designed to be scalable, with the potential to handle up to 40 million passengers per year in the future [3].
Commercial operations are slated to begin mid-August. Specifically, commercial flights are scheduled to replace those at the Visakhapatnam airport on Aug. 17, 2026 [3, 4].
To facilitate international travel and trade, the central government has notified the Bhogapuram facility as an authorized immigration check post [2]. This designation allows the airport to process international arrivals and departures directly, supporting the goal of increasing the region's connectivity to global markets [2].
“The new aviation hub is designed to catalyze economic growth in the north-coastal region of Andhra Pradesh”
The transition from Visakhapatnam airport to the larger Bhogapuram facility signals a strategic shift toward high-capacity industrial growth. By scaling from an initial six million to a potential 40 million passengers, the region is positioning itself to mirror the aviation-led economic expansions seen in major Indian hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
