Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram on Saturday [1].
The opening of the greenfield airport is intended to spur major economic development in North Andhra by expanding aviation infrastructure [1, 5].
Located in the Vizianagaram district, the facility, also known as Bhogapuram International Airport, is the third international airport in Andhra Pradesh [2, 3]. The project is a central component of a broader series of development initiatives valued at ₹17,900 crore [1].
Reports on the specific cost of the airport vary. One source cites the cost at Rs 5,640 crore [4], while another said it was nearly Rs 5,000 crore [5].
In its first phase, the airport is designed to handle six million passengers per year [2]. Long-term plans for the facility aim for a future capacity of 40 million passengers annually [3].
Modi's visit to the region included the inauguration as part of a wider itinerary covering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka [1]. The government said that the airport will serve as a catalyst for growth in the northern region of the state [5].
“The project is a central component of a broader series of development initiatives valued at ₹17,900 crore.”
The establishment of a third international gateway in Andhra Pradesh signals a strategic shift to decentralize aviation hubs and stimulate industrial growth in the North Andhra region. By scaling from an initial six million to a potential 40 million passengers, the government is betting on the airport to attract foreign investment and increase the state's connectivity to global markets.
