Andhra Soars: PM Modi Opens Rs 5,000-Crore Bhogapuram International Airport

In a major boost for India's aviation infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, August 1, 2026, officially inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh Vizianagaram district. This sprawling greenfield airport, built by GMR Group at a cost of over Rs 5,000 crore, marks a significant milestone for the state's North Coastal region, promising to transform it into a key economic and connectivity hub. Commercial flight operations are slated to begin just two weeks from now, on August 17. This new airport is designed to address the long-standing limitations of the existing Visakhapatnam Airport, which operates as a naval enclave, hindering expansion and civilian flight capacity. The Bhogapuram facility, developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) using the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model, boasts an initial annual passenger handling capacity of six million, with plans to expand it to 40 million in future phases. It's India's second greenfield airport to become operational this year, following Uttar Pradesh's Jewar airport, and is expected to be a powerful catalyst for industrial development, tourism, employment, and exports across North Andhra, including attracting major data centers. With the inauguration done, all eyes are now on August 17, when the airport will officially commence commercial flights, and the current IATA code 'VTZ' will transfer from Visakhapatnam Airport to Bhogapuram. This shift is set to unlock the region's full economic potential, strengthening trade and investment while positioning North Coastal Andhra as a vibrant gateway to India's eastern corridor. Local leaders and industry experts anticipate a surge in business and tourism, underscoring the project's pivotal role in achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' or developed India.