Key takeaways
- Passenger operations year: 2026.
- Inauguration: 1 August 2026. Flights: 17 August 2026.
- It is not a 2024 or 2025 opening — those were construction years.
- Site clearance dates to 2015–2016; GMR’s GVIAL was set up in 2020.
- Phase 1 is the 2026 airport; later phases expand capacity toward 40 million passengers.
Bhogapuram airport started in the year 2026. That is the short answer for exams, voice search and “started in which year” queries. Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport was inaugurated on 1 August 2026 and opened for scheduled flights on 17 August 2026.
| Started (passengers) | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Inauguration year | 2026 (1 August) |
| Commercial operations year | 2026 (17 August) |
| Main construction | November 2023 – 2026 |
| Project proposed | 2015 (Bhogapuram site) |
| Operator formed | GVIAL, 2020 |
Bhogapuram airport started in which year? 2026
Use 2026 unless someone is asking about planning history. The airport did not handle scheduled commercial passengers in 2024 or 2025. A validation flight landed on 4 January 2026 as part of licensing — that was not the public opening.
For the two calendar dates inside 2026, see Bhogapuram airport opening date. For a yes/no on operations, see Is Bhogapuram airport started?.
Why do some pages say 2024 or 2025?
Construction milestones, cabinet renaming (September 2024) and “will open next year” headlines from 2024–25 still rank in search. Those were forecasts. The year that actually happened is 2026. If a property brochure still says the airport “opens in 2025”, it is out of date.
How long was Bhogapuram airport in the making?
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1997–2015 | A new Vizag airport is discussed; several sites considered |
| 2015–2016 | Bhogapuram site approved; land acquisition begins |
| 2017 | Environmental clearance |
| 2019 | Foundation stone by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu |
| 2020 | GMR’s GVIAL concessionaire set up |
| 2023 | Foundation re-laid; L&T construction starts in November |
| 2024 | Named after Alluri Sitarama Raju |
| 2026 | Licence, inauguration (1 Aug), flights (17 Aug) |
A longer encyclopedia-style history sits in Bhogapuram airport Wikipedia.
Does “started in 2026” mean the airport is finished?
Phase 1 started in 2026: a 78,000 sq m terminal, 3,800 m runway and about 6 million passengers a year. Later phases are designed to lift capacity to 12 million, 18 million and ultimately more than 40 million. So 2026 is the opening year, not the last year of building.
Sources & further reading
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Bhogapuram Airport, answered concisely.
2026. The airport was inaugurated on 1 August 2026 and started scheduled commercial flights on 17 August 2026.
2026 — specifically Saturday, 1 August 2026, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Main civil construction began in November 2023 with Larsen & Toubro as contractor for GMR. Foundation stones were laid earlier, in February 2019 and May 2023.
From the 2015 site proposal to opening was about eleven years. From the November 2023 start of main construction to commercial operations in August 2026 was under three years.
Phase 1 opened in 2026 at about 6 million passengers a year. The master plan scales to 12 million, 18 million and ultimately more than 40 million in later phases.
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