The first commercial validation flight landed at Andhra Pradesh's Bhogapuram International Airport in Vizianagaram district, around 50 kilometres from the city of Visakhapatnam, on Sunday morning. This marked a major milestone towards completion of the project by June this year.
The Air India flight, an Airbus 320, arrived at the Bhogapuram airport from New Delhi at 11 am on Sunday as part of trial operations. The aircraft received a grand welcome with ceremonial water cannons, marking the successful completion of the first trial run on the 3.8-km runway.
The test run was conducted to validate the airport’s airside infrastructure, navigational aids, runway systems, and operational readiness, in line with the guidelines of the country's regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The greenfield airport is nearing operational readiness, with some civil and interior work remaining. Formally, it is called the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (ASRIA), named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju.
The validation flight arrived at the Bhogapuram airport carrying Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, and officials, PTI reported.
{{/usCountry}}The validation flight arrived at the Bhogapuram airport carrying Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, and officials, PTI reported.
{{/usCountry}}Addressing the gathering after the touchdown, Rammohan Naidu said the day marked a historic milestone in the development journey of Andhra Pradesh.
"Visakhapatnam is set to become the economic capital of the East. The Bhogapuram Airport will serve as a powerful engine of growth—creating employment opportunities, catalysing regional industries, and significantly enhancing connectivity for people and businesses alike. The airport will strengthen trade, boost exports, and unlock the immense tourism potential of Andhra Pradesh," he said, according to PTI.
Vizianagaram Collector S Ramsundar Reddy, Joint Collector Sedhu Madhavan, officials and executives of GMR Group welcomed the minister, MP and senior officials on the runway.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated the people of North Andhra on the successful validation flight of the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport, calling it "a new milestone for "aviation in the state.
"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. The airport, planned and initiated during the NDA government’s tenure between 2014 and 2019, will be ready to serve our people with commercial flight operations from June," Naidu said in a post on X.
All about Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport
Bhogapuram Airport is the country's second greenfield airport after the recently-inaugurated Navi Mumbai airport.
The airport, spread across on 2,200 acres of land, can operate as many as 200 planes a day, while around 18 planes can be parked during nighttime.
Built at a cost of around ₹4,725 crore, the airport is being developed to handle 18 million passengers per year. However, in the initial phase, the airport is set to handle around 6 million passengers a year.
The 3.8-km-long runway has been designed to accommodate even wide-body aircraft, including Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.
The airport will also feature an aerotropolis, an aviation hub, and a dedicated state-of-the-art cargo terminal, ensuring world-class facilities for efficient cargo operations.