The newly inaugurated Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport here, near Visakhapatnam, will start operating commercial flights from August 17 with an initial annual passenger capacity of six million, the GMR group said on Saturday.
The facility in Andhra Pradesh's Bhogapuram is the second greenfield airport in the country to start operations this year, after Uttar Pradesh's Jewar airport, which commenced flight operations on June 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport here on Saturday.
GMR group, in a release, said the airport has been completed several months ahead of schedule. Initially, the annual passenger handling capacity will be six million, and this will be scaled up to 40 million in future phases.
Also read: PM Modi inaugurates Rs 5,000 cr Bhogapuram Airport in Andhra Pradesh
Spread over 2,200 acres, the Bhogapuram airport has been developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL) under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, using the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) framework. The integrated project spans 2,703.26 acres in all, comprising the airport over 2,203.32 acres, an aviation hub on 500 acres, and an aviation university and EduCity on 136.63 acres, along with airside infrastructure, commercial development, residential zones and approach roads.
The airport has already secured its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, along with all required safety, fire and environmental clearances. It features a 3,800-metre Code-E runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A330 and Airbus A340, along with a 25,000-metric-tonne annual capacity cargo terminal with temperature-controlled cold chain facilities for pharmaceuticals, marine products and other perishable goods.
GMR Airports Ltd, part of the GMR group, already operates six airports and has now developed three greenfield airports, at Hyderabad, Goa and Bhogapuram.
"We are confident that the airport will emerge as a major gateway for India's eastern corridor, driving investment, employment and regional prosperity for decades to come," GMR Airports Ltd Business Chairman G B S Raju said.
The Andhra Pradesh government invested Rs 1,583 crore in supporting infrastructure for the project, including land acquisition, water and power supply, and connectivity roads. PM Modi also laid the foundation for and inaugurated other development projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in the state on Saturday.
