The Visakhapatnam International Airport will cease civil operations from July 8, with all commercial aviation services scheduled to shift to the newly built Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, about 50 km from the city, officials familiar with the development said.
“The existing airport in Visakhapatnam, which is under the control of the Indian Navy, will stop handling civil flights and the new Bhogapuram airport will become the only commercial aviation gateway in the region,” a senior official of the Visakhapatnam district administration said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the airport, developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) under the public-private partnership model, in the first week of July, and commercial operations are scheduled to begin on July 8.
Named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, the airport is designed to handle six million passengers annually in its first phase, with scope for future expansion.
“The test flights and validation were successfully completed on January 4, and the airport authorities have already started testing passenger facilities, including check-in counters, baggage handling and security systems, before starting operations,” the official said.
Many airlines have already informed passengers and travel agents about the transfer. Singapore-based Scoot Airlines has issued advisories that all flights to and from Visakhapatnam from July 8 onwards will operate from Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport instead of the existing Visakhapatnam International Airport.
Andhra Pradesh Travel and Tourism Agents Association (TTAA) has advised passengers holding tickets for travel on or after July 8 to check the departure and arrival airports while planning their trip. Check-in operations for the changed airlines will initially operate from Terminal 1 of the new airport.
With civil operations shifting to Bhogapuram, the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) on June 22 approved a customized tariff structure that will remain in effect from the Commercial Operation Date (COD) till regular aviation tariffs are finalized.
Under the tariff order, departing domestic passengers will pay a user development fee (UDF) of $835, while arriving passengers will pay $355. For international passengers, the UDF is fixed at $1,255 for departures $545 for arrivals.
Landing fees are set at $1,400 metric tons of the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft for domestic airlines and $1,975 per metric ton for international carriers.
Road connectivity is a major concern
While the new airport is ready for commercial operations, the biggest challenge is likely to be connectivity for passengers from Visakhapatnam, as the airport is located more than 50 km from the city.
“Most of the central government projects including Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, HPCL, Eastern Naval Command and several other industrial establishments are located on the southern side of Visakhapatnam. It will take at least one and a half to two hours just to reach the airport, and don’t forget the check-in timings,” said M. Rajesh, a local resident and frequent air traveler.
The state government has intensified efforts to improve road connectivity and public transport ahead of the commencement of operations. National Highway 16, the main road leading to the airport, remains heavily congested with freight traffic.
“The stretch from RK Beach to Pemunipatnam has been identified as one of the main airport corridors. But it is also the busiest route,” Rajesh said.
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) estimates that it could take between one and a half to two hours for passengers to reach the airport during peak traffic, an official familiar with the matter said.
“Travels from Gajuwaka or the steel plant area via Sappavaram and Anandapuram are expected to take around one hour and 40 minutes, while travel via Beach Road and Bimunipatnam may take around one hour and 35 minutes,” he said.
The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has proposed seven road projects to improve connectivity to the airport, although officials believe that only the Adavivaram-Sonthiyam and Vibhagunta-Penagadi routes are likely to reduce travel time significantly.
Member of Parliament for Visakhapatnam M. Sribharat is confident that communication will improve over time.
“Such problems were seen even while shifting flight operations from Begumpet Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The initial concerns there have eased after the development of better road infrastructure,” he said.
The complete shift to civilian operations has also sparked a political controversy, with Visakhapatnam North MLA and senior BJP leader P Vishnu Kumar Raju opposing the closure of the existing airport for commercial operations.
“We are not against the opening of Bhogapuram airport. But we want the government to take into account that long-haul international and domestic flights should operate from the new airport while short-haul domestic services from the existing airport should continue within the sea airport,” he said.
He also expressed confidence in the Indian Navy’s ability to accommodate limited civil aviation operations during specific hours.
“Our main concern is accessibility to the new airport. While passengers currently reach Visakhapatnam airport in about 30 minutes, traveling to Bhogapuram may require leaving home about two hours earlier,” he said.
