Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport Allūri Sītārāma Rāju Antarjātīya Vimānāśrayaṁ | |||||||||||
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 Aerial view of the site as of April 2025[update] | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | |||||||||||
| Serves | Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region | ||||||||||
| Location | Bhogapuram,Vizianagaram district,Andhra Pradesh, India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 59 ft / 18 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°58′34″N083°30′14″E / 17.97611°N 83.50389°E /17.97611; 83.50389 | ||||||||||
| Website | Visakhapatnam Airport | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
.svg)  Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport  Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (IATA:VOX,ICAO:VOVI), also known asBhogapuram Airport, is an under constructiongreenfield airport atBhogapuram inVizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The airport is intended to serve theNorth Andhra region and is located off theNational Highway 16, about 45 km (28 mi) fromVisakhapatnam. It is being developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited, a subsidiary ofGMR Group. In September 2024, the upcoming airport was named after Indian revolutionary and freedom fighterAlluri Sitarama Raju. The first phase of the project is being developed at a cost of₹45.92 billion (US$540 million), and is expected to be completed in 2026.
TheNorth Andhra region is served by theVisakhapatnam Airport, which operates as acivil enclave atINS Dega, anaval air station of theIndian Navy. It is designated as acustoms airport, and is permitted to operate only limited international flights.[1][2] The Indian navy had stated that it is unable to allocate more slots for commercial flights at the airport due to its increased utilisation for military activities.[3] Initial proposal for constructing aGreenfield airport atVisakhapatnam was mooted as early as 1997, with various sites such as Sabbavaram, Achyutapuram and Koruprolu being validated for the same.[4]
In June 2015, theAirports Authority of India gave its technical approval for the site atBhogapuram.[5][6] The site is located off theNational Highway 16, about 45 km (28 mi) from Visakhapatnam.[7] By March 2016, thestate government had acquired 2,703 acres (1,094 ha) of land for the project, and further acquisition of land was delayed due to agitation from locals.[8] The project was approved by the state government in September 2016, and the airport was planned to be developed under apublic–private partnership basis.[9] The airport got environmental clearance in August 2017,[10] and the bids for the development of the airport were submitted in the same month.[11] The foundation stone for the airport was laid by the thenchief ministerN. Chandrababu Naidu on 14 February 2019.[12][13][14] In March 2020, the state government allocated 2,200 acres (890 ha) for the development of the airport, while keeping aside 500 acres (200 ha) of land for future development.[15]
The contract for the development and operations of the airport was awarded to GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), aSpecial Purpose Entity owned by theGMR Group, which was set up in June 2020.[16][17] In 2022, the state government signed an agreement with the navy to move the civilian operations from the Visakhapatnam airport to the planned new airport in phases over the next 30 years.[18][19] As of September 2022[update], most of the land acquisition had been completed, with only 28 acres (11 ha) pending to be acquired.[20] The airport was planned to be developed in three phases, with the first phase projected to cost₹45.92 billion (US$540 million).[21][22] Upon the completion of the first phase, the airport is expected to be able to handle 6.3 million passengers annually, which is expected to increase to 12 and 18 million after the completion of the second and third phases respectively.[16]
After the land acquisition was completed, then state chief ministerY. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy re-laid the foundation stone for the project on 3 May 2023.[23] The construction officially began later that year in November 2023, withLarsen & Toubro being awarded the contract for the civil works by the GMR group.[24][25] The first phase of the airport is projected to be completed by 2026.[26] In September 2024, the state government announced that the airport would be named after Indian revolutionary and freedom fighterAlluri Sitarama Raju.[27][28][29] In November 2024,Tata group announced plans for commercial development near the airport and sought land for the same from the government.[30] On 4 January 2026, the first validation flight landed at the airport as part of the requirement for obtaining an operating license.[31]