Bhogapuram airport gets AP High Court's nod

The first phase of the project is expected to involve an investment of Rs 2300 crore. The deadline will be set to complete the first phase by December, 2024. During the first phase, the airport will handle 6.3 mn passengers per annum. Once fully operational, it will handle 18 million passengers

Visakhapatnam: After clouds of uncertainty for a long time, the construction work of Bhogapuram International Airport is expected to take off soon on a fast-track mode with the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissing a batch of petitions filed by 32 farmers from Kancheru village challenging land acquisition in Vizianagaram district for development of the greenfield project.

The project has been awarded to GMR Group. MoU was signed by the State government in June, 2020 to construct the airport by the PPP partner, GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airport Limited (GAL). The GMR Group operates international airports in New Delhi and Hyderabad.

Out of 2700 acre acquired during the erstwhile TDP government, the YSRCP after coming to power revised the blueprint and allotted 2200 acres for airport construction keeping 500 acres aside. Then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who laid foundation stone for the airport in February, 2019, just before the general elections, had proposed development of the project in over 5,000 acres with a mega aerotropolis and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) complex.

With the HC clearing the legal hurdles, the construction work will start soon, YSRCP regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy said here recently. The first phase of the project is expected to involve an investment of Rs 2,300 crore. The State government expects that once the stone is laid for the airport located 40 km from Visakhapatnam and 25 km from Vizianagaram, the deadline will be set to complete the first phase by December, 2024.

During the first phase, the airport will be in a position to handle 6.3 million passengers per annum. Once fully operational, it will handle 18 million passengers.

Once Bhogapuram airport starts functioning, it will pave the way for restricting Visakhapatnam International Airport only for defence purposes. The airport complex, which is surrounded by residential colonies is now used for defence and civilian flights. Due to defence considerations, it has limitations for night operation and introduction of more civilian flights despite the emergence of Visakhapatnam as a hub for industries.

After studying Atchutapuram, Bheemunipatnam, Nakkapalli and other probable sites, the Airport Authority of India gave technical clearance in 2015. In a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry in February, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had pointed out that the site clearance and NOC issued by the ministry expired as the project hit a roadblock and sought a fresh clearance. As the court gave a favourable order, the work on the project is expected to start by year-end.