After years of delay, the work on ₹4,592-crore Greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport has begun today, with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy laying the foundation stone for the project.

The airport is aimed at providing international air connectivity to people in the north-coastal districts of the State.

To be taken up by GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd, the 2,203-acre airport is located midway between Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam and about 20 kilometres from Vizianagaram. The airport can handle 60 lakh passengers annually.

Enhance connectivity

“Construction of this airport will spur the development of Vizag and its surrounding regions. It will create job opportunities for the locals, herald infrastructure development and will be a gateway of connectivity for people in India and abroad,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.

“The new airport will enhance connectivity in the region, spur economic growth, foster sustainable development, drive innovation, and create further job opportunities in this region,” G M Rao, Chairman of GMR Group, said.

GMR Airports Infrastructure won the mandate in a competitive bidding process conducted by the State government. Subsequently, the Concession Agreement was signed between the GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL), and the Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Ltd (APADCL) to develop, operate and maintain the airport for forty years.

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in three years. The airport will also have a dedicated cargo terminal catering to exports.

 The international airport was conceived during the Telugu Desam Party Government as the existing airport had limited scope for growth. The then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone in February 2019 for an aerotropolis with 5,000 acres.

The Jagan Mohan Reddy government, however, decided to build only an international airport, reducing the project size to 2,203 acres.