Bhogapuram International Airport, upon completion, will help in transform the region into a hub of economic activity, according to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

On Thursday, Naidu conducted an aerial survey of the Bhogapuram Airport construction site and said the first phase of airport works will be completed in 2026. The stretch from Bhogapuram airport to Visakhapatnam has ‘immense’ potential to become an industrial hub and could also attract investors, the Chief Minister added that the enabling infrastructure would also be created.

“The beach road should be extended from Bhogapuram to Visakhapatnam. All approvals for this were received during my previous government’s tenure during 2014-19. The airport should also be connected to the national highway,’‘ he said. The ‘negligence’ of the YSRCP government had delayed all the projects and everything had to be resurrected, he said. 

GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Ltd (GAL), is developing a Greenfield International Airport at Bhogapuram, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. The project is to be implemented on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis.

GVIAL would develop the Airport in stages. Initially, the airport will be built to service 6 million passengers per annum and it will be scaled up based on passenger traffic growth. The Airport will offer services catering to domestic and international travel besides cargo.

The proposed GreenField airport site is located on the border of Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts and is approximately 45 km from Visakhapatnam via NH-16 (Old NH-5) and 25 km from Vizianagaram via NH-43. The site is strategically located on the east coast and stands to benefit from the vast catchment area surrounding the region.