VIZIANAGARAM: Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday announced that the Alluri Sitharama Raju Bhogapuram International Airport has achieved 100 per cent completion with the issuance of its aerodrome licence by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Speaking after inspecting the airport along with public representatives, district officials and GMR representatives, the minister said the licence was granted after extensive verification over the past month to ensure all safety and operational standards were met. He said the Chief Minister’s Office has already contacted the Prime Minister’s Office to finalise the inauguration date and that commercial flight operations will commence within a week of the airport’s inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rammohan Naidu said the airport project, originally targeted for completion by December 2026, was finished six months ahead of schedule through the joint efforts of the State Government, the Union Government, GMR Group and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Describing the airport as a major economic driver for North Andhra, he said it has been designed to handle up to 40 million passengers annually. The terminal building, inspired by the shape of a flying fish, reflects the culture and heritage of north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The airport also features a cargo terminal with a capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes to support exports from the region’s aqua, pharmaceutical, mango and agricultural sectors.
On connectivity, the minister said seven traffic-free approach roads are being planned, including a six-lane coastal corridor connecting RK Beach in Visakhapatnam with Bhogapuram. He added that a proposal for a double-decker Metro link from Visakhapatnam is under consideration by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
