Commercial flight operations began Monday at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram, taking over all scheduled passenger flights from Visakhapatnam Airport [1, 4].
The transition marks a significant shift in regional infrastructure, moving civil aviation from a shared military facility to a dedicated greenfield airport to increase capacity and connectivity [5, 6].
Scheduled commercial services at the old Visakhapatnam Airport, known as INS Dega, officially ceased after the final flight departed at 10:45 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2024 [2]. The new facility in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh is now the primary hub for the region [5].
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu participated in the launch of the new operations [1]. Early services at the airport included flights from IndiGo and Air India Express [1].
Under the new arrangement, scheduled commercial operations at the INS Dega civil enclave will remain shut for 30 years [5]. The move separates civilian traffic from the naval base to streamline operations, and improve safety [5, 6].
Travelers now face a different commute to reach their flights, as the distance between the new Bhogapuram Airport and Visakhapatnam is over 50 km [7]. The Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the shift to ensure the region can handle growing passenger volumes that the previous facility could no longer support [5, 6].
“Commercial flight operations began Monday at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport.”
The shift to Bhogapuram represents a strategic decoupling of civilian aviation from military infrastructure. By moving operations to a greenfield site, the region removes the operational constraints imposed by the INS Dega naval base, allowing for expanded runway capacity and more frequent international and domestic scheduling. However, the 50 km distance from the city center necessitates new investments in transit infrastructure to prevent the commute from becoming a bottleneck for economic growth.
