The Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) International Airport at Bhogapuram received its first validation flight on January 4, marking the commencement of commercial operations at the airport. The formal inauguration of this greenfield airport is scheduled for June 26 and will be carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Located 44 km away from Visakhapatnam, the commercial hub of Andhra Pradesh, and 23 km away from Vizianagaram, the airport is set to serve as the aviation hub for the North Andhra districts.
In the maiden Air India flight, Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry arrived, and the aircraft was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute.
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) January 4, 2026
Addressing the press, Rammohan Naidu emphasised the speed of execution under the National Democratic Alliance government. “From 23 per cent progress, we have reached 96 per cent of project completion. We have achieved this in record time,” he said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, in a post on X, hailed the successful landing of the validation flight and described the airport as the future of the region. He thanked the Prime Minister for helping to expedite the project over the past 18 months. He also congratulated the people of North Andhra on the occasion, calling the new airport a major boost to regional connectivity.
The airport is built and operated by the GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited.
Congratulations to the people of Andhra Pradesh, especially Uttarandhra, on the successful validation flight of the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport. Today marks a new milestone for aviation in the state, strengthening regional connectivity and giving a major boost to… pic.twitter.com/ujUaKasVsV
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) January 4, 2026
Ram Mohan Naidu said the airport will go beyond passenger connectivity and will help build an entire aerospace ecosystem, including Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and aviation education.
The airport is set to receive unlimited international flights, as Visakhapatnam is covered under the open skies framework, which allows an unlimited number of international flights to land at the airport. “We are expecting strong interest from international airlines as we are implementing advanced standards at the ASR International Airport,” he explained.
Once opened for flights, the Bhogapuram airport will free the current airport at Visakhapatnam, which is being operated as a civilian enclave within the Indian Navy’s INS Dega air station. Civilian and cargo services will move to the new airport once it is inaugurated.
As the Navy and civilian aircraft currently use the same airfield, expansion of the airport has become difficult. After the shift of civil aviation services to the new airport, the Navy is planning to enhance INS Dega’s capacity for naval aviation.
The airport was named after Alluri Sitarama Raju, an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed rebellion against British rule. He led the Rampa rebellion (1922–1924) in the Godavari district of Madras Presidency.
