New milestone for aviation, says CM Chandrababu Naidu on first validation flight in Andhra

Amaravati, Jan 4 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu termed the successful validation flight at Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport on Sunday as a new milestone for aviation in the state.

“Congratulations to the people of Andhra Pradesh, especially Uttarandhra, on the successful validation flight of the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport. Today marks a new milestone for aviation in the state, strengthening regional connectivity and giving a major boost to Uttarandhra as the region prepares to take off,” the Chief Minister posted on ‘X’.

CM Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “vision, leadership, and commitment to the progress of Andhra Pradesh.

“The airport, planned and initiated during the NDA government’s tenure between 2014 and 2019, will be ready to serve our people with commercial flight operations from June,” added CM Chandrababu Naidu.

Minister for Human Resources Development and Information Technology stated that “today is a landmark day” for Andhra Pradesh.

“The successful validation flight at Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport marks a decisive step in boosting connectivity and unlocking Uttarandhra’s growth potential. Thanks to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji for his vision and leadership. Conceived and initiated during the NDA government (2014–19), the airport will be ready for commercial operations from June 2026 – taking Uttarandhra to new heights,” posted Lokesh.

The first commercial validation flight landed successfully at the Bhogapuram Airport in Vizianagaram district on Sunday.

The Air India flight from New Delhi landed at the Bhogapuram Airport, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, along with senior officials, travelled by the test flight.

The test flight landed on the 3.8 km-long runway, the longest in the country, built with the latest technology.

“Happy to share this historic first landing at Bhogapuram. One smooth touchdown marking the first step toward a transformative future for the region,” posted Ram Mohan Naidu on ‘X’. He shared the video of the landing.

The airport, being constructed by GMR Group in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis, is expected to be inaugurated in June 2026.

GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Group, is constructing the airport on 2,200 acres of land with an estimated cost of Rs 4,592 crore.

According to GVIAL, 96 per cent of the airport works have been completed.

Ram Mohan Naidu said Prime Minister Modi would inaugurate the airport in 4-5 months.

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