In January, an Air India flight from Delhi landed successfully in Bhogapuram as a part of the trial run
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The Bhogapuram International Airport, being developed by the GMR Group near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh is all set to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.According to a senior official, the Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate the first Greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh in the third week of July. A few probable dates have been suggested to the PMO for that week, it is learnt.In the meantime, the other modalities for the functioning of the airport are being worked out. A recent order by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) permitted the Bhogapuram Airport to levy a User Development Fee (UDF) of ₹835 on departing domestic passengers and ₹355 on arriving domestic passengers. International passengers will pay ₹1,255 on departure and ₹545 on arrival. While the UDF is on a higher side compared to other airports in the country, the official said the comparison is ‘improper’ because Bhogapuram is a greenfiled airport, while others have been in operation for many years. As the airport is located about 50 km away from Visakhapatnam city, the government is hastening the construction of the connecting roads to the airport to facilitate ease of logistics for travellers and cargo.”As the operations are expected to commence within a couple of weeks after the formal inauguration, ease of travel will be ensured,’’ the official said. In January, an Air India flight from Delhi landed successfully in Bhogapuram as part of its maiden trial run. Published on June 28, 2026
