Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport begins commercial operations

Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport commenced commercial operations on Monday, opening a new chapter in air connectivity for North Andhra Pradesh and positioning Visakhapatnam for stronger links with India and overseas destinations.

The airport, developed and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd. (GVIAL), began operations with domestic and international services to destinations across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

IndiGo’s Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam service was the first flight to land at the new airport. IndiGo operated the first international service by an Indian carrier, with its Abu Dhabi-Visakhapatnam flight, while Singapore-based Scoot operated the first international service by a foreign carrier.

The first arrivals of Air India Express, Air India, IndiGo, Scoot and India One were accorded ceremonial water-cannon salutes. The airport was scheduled to handle 52 air traffic movements on its first day.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu attended the inaugural programme and handed over boarding passes to passengers travelling on the first IndiGo and Air India Express services.

GVIAL CEO Kanwarbir Singh Kalra said the airport would boost regional connectivity and drive growth in trade, tourism, investment and employment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on August 1. The airport can initially handle six million passengers a year, with a master plan to expand its capacity to more than 40 million passengers annually.

Its 3,800-metre Code 4E runway can accommodate wide-body aircraft, giving the airport the capacity to support future international services and the expansion of air cargo operations.

The commencement of commercial operations is expected to strengthen Visakhapatnam’s role as an aviation and logistics gateway for North Andhra and enhance the region’s access to major domestic and international markets.