Andhra Pradesh, Vizianagaram, 04/01/26. Air India’s first trial flight landed successfully at Bhogapuram International Airport near Visakhapatnam. Special Arrangement
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu
Six years after it won the bid to build the Bhogapuram airport near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the maiden commercial aircraft landed at the airport, marking a new chapter in the State’s aviation sector.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu arrived at the airport on an Air India flight from Delhi as part of the maiden trial run. The airport, which is being built by GMR Group, is expected to begin full-fledged operations in June 2026.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation K.Rammohan Naidu gestures after successful landing of first flight at Bhogapuram international airport near Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Arrangement
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Limited (GAL), is developing the airport. The government acquired 2,200 acres to build the airport, which is expected to handle 4.5 million passengers annually. Being taken up in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis, the airport is 45 kilometres away from Visakhapatnam.
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
“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 Uttarandhra as the region prepares to take off,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said in a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
“The airport, planned and initiated during the NDA government’s tenure between 2014 and 2019, will be ready to serve our people with commercial flight operations from June,” he said.
Published on January 4, 2026
