News & updates
Bhogapuram Airport News
Verified updates on Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (ASR International Airport, IATA: VTZ) at Bhogapuram — the inauguration, the code transfer from INS Dega, the start of commercial flights and what each change means for travellers.
Last updated · Sourced from Ministry of Civil Aviation gazette notifications and national press reporting.
Until 16 August 2026, scheduled flights use the civil enclave at INS Dega inside Visakhapatnam. From 12:01 am on 17 August 2026, VTZ means Bhogapuram, roughly 40–45 km from the city and about an hour away by road on NH-16. Confirm the airport printed on your booking, and plan the drive using our guide on how to reach Bhogapuram airport from Visakhapatnam.
What has happened so far at Bhogapuram?
Two gazette notifications, one inauguration and one hard switchover date. Everything below is dated, sourced from the fact sheet we maintain for this site, and updated as new confirmations arrive.
- Flights
Commercial flights start at Bhogapuram: IndiGo 6E 6408 from Hyderabad is the first arrival
Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport begins scheduled commercial operations. The IATA code VTZ transfers from INS Dega at 12:01 am. IndiGo 6E 6408 from Hyderabad is the first arrival; 6E 9051 to Hyderabad is listed as the first departure. Scoot operates Singapore and IndiGo operates Abu Dhabi among the opening international services. Air India, Air India Express and India One Air also operate. The last scheduled flight from the old Visakhapatnam airport was IndiGo 6E 2018 to Delhi at 10:45 pm on 16 August.
Flights from Bhogapuram Airport - Inauguration
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram on Saturday, 1 August 2026, arriving at 10:45 am, walking through the terminal at about 11:00 am and inaugurating the airport at around 11:30 am, followed by a public meeting until 12:55 pm. At the same event he dedicates development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore across Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu are among the dignitaries present.
Read the full inauguration guide - Inauguration
13,000-plus tribal women and students rehearse the Dhimsa welcome
Final preparations are complete at Bhogapuram on the eve of the inauguration. Around 13,000 to 13,500 tribal women and students have rehearsed the traditional Dhimsa dance that will greet the Prime Minister, making it the ceremonial centrepiece of the event. The airport is roughly 40–45 km from Visakhapatnam, about an hour by road on NH-16, which is the route most visitors will take on the day.
How to reach the airport from Visakhapatnam - Gazette notification
Gazette notification: the VTZ code moves to Bhogapuram from 12:01 am on 17 August
A Ministry of Civil Aviation gazette notification confirms that the IATA code VTZ transfers from the Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega to the new Bhogapuram airport at 12:01 am on Sunday, 17 August 2026. From that moment, a ticket that reads VTZ means Bhogapuram, not the old airport. Anyone flying on or after that date should check the airport address on the booking before setting out.
What the VTZ code shift means for your ticket - Gazette notification
Bhogapuram greenfield airport formally renamed Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport
A Ministry of Civil Aviation gazette notification formally renames the Bhogapuram greenfield airport as Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, after the tribal freedom fighter of Andhra Pradesh. It is commonly shortened to ASR International Airport. Earlier references to Bhogapuram International Airport or the Bhogapuram Greenfield Airport describe the same facility.
Who was Alluri Sitarama Raju? - Flights
Commercial operations confirmed for 17 August; INS Dega civil enclave closes to scheduled flights
Commercial flight operations at Bhogapuram are confirmed to begin on Sunday, 17 August 2026, a little over two weeks after the inauguration. Scheduled commercial services at the Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega cease from that date for 30 years, while non-scheduled and charter movements and military operations continue there. Travellers should confirm the departure airport with their airline for any flight on or after 17 August 2026.
Read the complete ASR airport guide - Real estate
Land prices in the airport corridor reported up 20–30% in key pockets
Market reports following the validation flight put land price increases at 20–30% in key pockets of the Bhogapuram airport corridor, on top of roughly 12.5% over the preceding year. Land near the airport is quoted at about ₹22,000 per square yard, with nearby Denkada around ₹15,000 per square yard. These are realtor estimates rather than official data, so verify current rates, layout approvals and titles before committing to anything.
Bhogapuram land and plot price guide - Infrastructure
Airport completed on 2,203 acres with a 3,800 m runway and a 78,000 sq m terminal
The airport is built by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) on a public-private partnership, DBFOT basis at a project cost of ₹5,640 crore. It covers 2,203 acres and its 3,800 m Code 4E runway, among the longest in India, can handle Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A350 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The 78,000 sq m Phase 1 terminal is sized for 6 million passengers a year, with a glass façade engineered to withstand cyclonic winds of up to 275 kmph.
Airport specifications and facilities
| Inauguration | Saturday, 1 August 2026, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
|---|---|
| Projects dedicated | Development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore in Andhra Pradesh |
| Commercial flights begin | Sunday, 17 August 2026 |
| IATA code | VTZ — transfers from INS Dega at 12:01 am on 17 August 2026 |
| Old airport | Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega — scheduled commercial operations cease for 30 years |
| Developer / operator | GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) |
| Project cost | ₹5,640 crore |
| Distance from Visakhapatnam | approximately 40–45 km from Visakhapatnam city |
Read our in-depth coverage
Each story above has a longer guide behind it — the inauguration schedule, the flight and code switchover, road access from Visakhapatnam, and what the airport is doing to land prices in the corridor.
What happens next at Bhogapuram?
After 17 August 2026 the story becomes an operational one: how fast airlines add routes, whether cargo picks up, and how much of the promised aerotropolis around the airport actually gets built.
The knock-on effects reach well beyond the terminal. Hotel supply along the corridor is the immediate constraint for anyone arriving before dawn — see hotels and stays near Bhogapuram airport for what exists today. The land market is moving faster than the infrastructure, which is why our Bhogapuram real estate guide treats the corridor as a five to seven year play rather than a ready-to-move suburb. And if you are flying in with a day to spare, the beaches, temples and hill stations in our guide to tourist places near Bhogapuram start about 20 km from the terminal.
Bhogapuram airport news: frequently asked questions
The dates, the code change and the switchover from INS Dega, answered in full.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram on Saturday, 1 August 2026. The schedule has the Prime Minister arriving at 10:45 am, touring the terminal at about 11:00 am and inaugurating the airport at around 11:30 am, followed by a public meeting until 12:55 pm. He also dedicates development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore across Andhra Pradesh the same day.
Commercial flights begin on Sunday, 17 August 2026, sixteen days after the inauguration. The gap between the two dates is normal for a new airport: it allows the operator to complete trials, staffing and systems checks before passengers arrive. Until 16 August 2026, scheduled flights continue to operate from the Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega.
The IATA code VTZ transfers from the Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega to the Bhogapuram airport at 12:01 am on Sunday, 17 August 2026, under a Ministry of Civil Aviation gazette notification. Before that moment VTZ means the old airport; from that moment it means Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, roughly 40–45 km from Visakhapatnam city.
Scheduled commercial operations at the Visakhapatnam civil enclave at INS Dega cease from 17 August 2026 for a period of 30 years. Non-scheduled and charter movements can still use the enclave, and INS Dega continues to function as a naval air station. In practice, if you are booking a scheduled airline ticket for a date after 16 August 2026, you are flying from Bhogapuram.
A Ministry of Civil Aviation gazette notification in July 2026 renamed the Bhogapuram greenfield airport after Alluri Sitarama Raju, the tribal freedom fighter of Andhra Pradesh. It is commonly abbreviated to ASR International Airport. Older reports and booking systems may still call it Bhogapuram International Airport or the Bhogapuram Greenfield Airport — these all refer to the same airport.
Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram is approximately 40–45 km from Visakhapatnam city, or roughly one hour by road via NH-16. The old civil enclave at INS Dega sits inside the city, so allow considerably more travel time than you are used to. There is no railway station at Bhogapuram itself; Vizianagaram Junction and Nellimarla are each about 20 to 30 minutes away by road.
The airport is developed and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of the GMR Group, on a public-private partnership, design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis. The project cost is ₹5,640 crore, with some reports citing about ₹4,700 crore for the core project scope. It is Andhra Pradesh's first international airport built after the 2014 state bifurcation.
Phase 1 is designed for 6 million passengers a year through a 78,000 sq m integrated terminal, alongside a 5,000 sq m cargo terminal with roughly 25,000 MT of annual capacity. The expansion roadmap takes capacity to 12 million passengers in Phase 2, 18 million in Phase 3 and ultimately more than 40 million a year, with about 500 acres reserved for that growth.
Following the Bhogapuram airport story?
The airport guide keeps every verified specification in one place, and the blog goes deeper on flights, road access, property and travel across North Andhra.