Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
The project represents a strategic effort to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in North Andhra. By establishing a high-capacity aviation gateway, the government intends to position the region as a significant industrial hub and boost local tourism.
The greenfield airport project involved a substantial investment, with reports on the total cost ranging from ₹5,000 crore [1] to over ₹5,640 crore [3]. This facility is designed to handle an annual passenger capacity of six million passengers [3].
During the event, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for additional infrastructure projects. These accompanying developments are valued at ₹18,000 crore [4].
The airport is named after Alluri Sitarama Raju, a prominent figure in India's struggle for independence. The facility is expected to reduce travel times for residents of North Andhra, and provide direct access for international investors and tourists to the region.
Officials said the airport will serve as a catalyst for urban development in the surrounding areas of the Vizianagaram district. The integration of this airport into the national aviation network is part of a broader push to decentralize economic activity away from existing primary urban centers.
“The project represents a strategic effort to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in North Andhra.”
The inauguration of the Bhogapuram airport signals a shift toward aggressive infrastructure decentralization in Andhra Pradesh. By investing heavily in a greenfield site, the Indian government is attempting to create a new economic corridor in North Andhra, aiming to attract foreign direct investment and industrialization to a region previously reliant on more distant transport hubs.
