A validation flight was held successfully at the upcoming Bhogapuram airport in Andhra Pradesh with Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu landing via an Air India aircraft from Delhi on Sunday morning. The validation or proving flight is a crucial milestone in operationalising any new airport as it tests whether the airport meets strict regulatory and safety standards airside.
The validation flight will pave the way for commercial operations soon and the airport expected to be ready by June this year, the minister said.
He added that 96% work on the airport has been completed. He added that at this pace the airport is expected to be ready six months in advance from its initial deadline of December 2026, he said.
“This is 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, adding the airport was first envisioned by Andhra chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his tenure as chief minister between 2014-19.
Naidu was aboard the validation flight. The aircraft was provided the ceremonial water salute.
“On the auspicious occasion of the successful experimental landing of the first flight at the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport, special greetings to the people of North Andhra,” chief minister Naidu said in a post on ‘X’.
The civil aviation minister said there is vast potential for tourism and the region had long been cast aside. The minister added he will soon seek a date from the Prime Minister on its inauguration.
Being envisaged as a gateway to the eastern coastline, the airport will initially have a capacity to handle 6 million passengers per annum (MPA). Once operational, this will also result in the currently operational Visakhapatnam International airport (2.9 MPA) being shut down, officials said.
The airport is expected to serve a large catchment area including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and the surrounding hinterlands, as well as South Odisha.
The airport is being developed by the GMR Aero-led GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) -- a wholly owned subsidiary of GMR Airports Limited (GAL). This is being executed on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.
The proving flight also had senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and government of Andhra Pradesh alongside GMR officials.
The total project area is spread over an area of 2,203.26 acres.
The passenger terminal building meanwhile will be spread over 77,342 sqms and have 22 check-in counters and 18 self-baggage drops. There will be a total of four baggage carousels inside and a total of 31 x-ray machines. Officials said 12 immigration counters are planned and 14 for emigration (departures). A total of 12 digi-yatra pods will also be present for passengers.
“The airport will also have an Aerotropolis, an Aviation Hub and a dedicated state-of-the-art cargo terminal, ensuring world-class facilities for efficient cargo operations,” an official said, adding a combination of highway projects and alternate corridors were planned to improve connectivity further. This includes the construction of a trumpet interchange on NH-16 by the NHAI by May 2026, which will provide direct access to the airport from the highway. Further, seven priority roads are also being upgraded, which should provide access from major city zones in Vizag to the airport within 40-60 minutes.
“In the medium and long term, focus is on fixing the bottleneck at the Anandapuram junction through a planned flyover, metro-cum-double decker flyovers and a beach-road corridor,” the official added.
GMR Group’s Deputy Managing Director, I Prabhakara Rao said they have taken learnings from previous GMR airports to make this a smart airport which will equipped with the latest technologies.
“Not just that, we also took learnings from calamities like cyclone Hudhud which caused terrible destruction. There, wind speeds touched over 220 km/hr, so we have designed the passenger terminal building to withstand winds of up to 275 km/hr - without the glass shattering and the ATC tower can withstand winds up to 295 km/hr,” he said, adding the interiors have been designed in a manner - to showcase Andhra culture and heritage.
“The project is progressing well ahead of the stipulated timelines. The airport will offer world-class facilities and a seamless passenger experience, reinforcing the government’s vision of modern, future-ready aviation infrastructure for Andhra Pradesh and the nation.” he added.
CM Naidu, YSRCP chief greet people on Bhogapuram airport validation flight
Amaravati, Jan 4 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday greeted the people on the occasion of the validation flight conducted at the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport.
As part of preparations for commercial operations, GMR Aero-led GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) conducted a validation flight at the greenfield airport near Visakhapatnam.
“On the auspicious occasion of the successful experimental landing of the first flight at the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport, special greetings to the people of North Andhra,” the CM said in a post on ‘X’.
The validation exercise involved an Air India aircraft and was conducted in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and senior officials from the civil aviation sector.
Naidu said the experimental landing marked significant progress in the Bhogapuram airport project, which was initiated during the NDA government’s tenure between 2014 and 2019.
He said the remaining works would be completed by June and thanked the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expediting the airport’s completion. Naidu said enhanced connectivity and increased international investments across ports, highways, airports and the IT sector would transform North Andhra’s development trajectory and economic prospects.
Similarly, Reddy said the first flight landing marked a major milestone for Vision Vizag, adding that Andhra Pradesh was accelerating on its growth runway.
Congratulating the GMR Group, Reddy said expedited permissions, timely approvals and land acquisition, including rehabilitation and resettlement with an outlay of nearly ₹960 crore during his tenure between 2019 and 2024, had laid a strong foundation for steady progress.
“As the first flight prepares to land in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh accelerates on its growth runway, marking a significant milestone for Vision Vizag,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
He also recalled the role of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in approving the project in March 2023, which connects Visakhapatnam Port with the Bhogapuram International Airport.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
