Visakhapatnam International Airport to stop civilian operations from July 8

THe Visakhapatnam International aerodrome testament cease civilian trading operations from July 8, when all commercial message flight of steps services are scheduled to shift to the newly built Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, around 50 km from the city, officials familiar with the development said.“The existing airport at Visakhapatnam, which is under the control of the Indian Navy, will cease to handle civilian flights, with the greenfield Bhogapuram airport becoming the region’s sole commercial aviation gateway,” a senior Visakhapatnam district administration official said.The airport, developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first week of July, with commercial operations set to begin on July 8.Named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, the airport has been designed to handle six million passengers annually in its first phase, with scope for future expansion.“Trial and validation flights were successfully completed on January 4, and airport authorities have already begun testing passenger facilities, including check-in counters, baggage handling and security systems, ahead of commissioning,” the official said.Several airlines have already informed passengers and travel agents about the transition. Singapore-based Scoot Airlines has issued alerts stating that all flights to and from Visakhapatnam from July 8 onwards will operate from Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport instead of the existing Visakhapatnam International Airport.The Tours and Travel Agents Association of Andhra Pradesh (TTAA) has advised passengers holding tickets for travel on or after July 8 to verify their departure and arrival airport while planning their journey. Check-in operations for shifting airlines will initially function from Terminal 1 of the new airport.With civilian operations shifting to Bhogapuram, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) on June 22 approved an ad hoc tariff structure that will remain in force from the commercial operation date (COD) until regular aeronautical tariffs are finalised.Under the tariff order, departing domestic passengers will pay a user development fee (UDF) of ₹835, while arriving passengers will pay ₹355. For international travellers, the UDF has been fixed at ₹1,255 for departures and ₹545 for arrivals.Landing charges have been fixed at ₹1,400 per metric tonne of an aircraft’s maximum take-off weight for domestic airlines and ₹1,975 per metric tonne for international carriers.Road connectivity a major concernWhile the new airport is ready for commercial operations, the biggest challenge is likely to be connectivity for passengers travelling from Visakhapatnam, as the airport is located more than 50 km from the city.“Most of the central government undertakings including Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, HPCL, Eastern Naval Command and many other industrial establishments are located on the southern side of Visakhapatnam. It will take at least one-and-a-half hours to two hours only to reach the airport, forget the check-in timing,” said M Rajesh, a local resident and frequent air traveller.The state government has stepped up efforts to improve road connectivity and public transport before operations begin. National Highway 16, the primary route to the airport, remains heavily congested with freight traffic.“The stretch from R K Beach to Bheemunipatnam has been identified as one of the principal airport corridors. But it is also the most congested roads,” Rajesh said.An official familiar with the matter said the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) estimates it could take between one-and-a-half and two hours for passengers to reach the airport during peak traffic.“Journeys from Gajuwaka or the Steel Plant area via Sabbavaram and Anandapuram are expected to take around one hour and 40 minutes, while travel through Beach Road and Bheemunipatnam may require about one hour and 35 minutes,” he said.The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has proposed seven road projects to improve airport connectivity, though officials believe only the Adavivaram-Sonthyam and Vepagunta-Pinagadi roads are likely to substantially reduce travel time.Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat expressed confidence that connectivity would improve over time.“Such problems were seen even during the shifting of flight operations from Begumpet Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The initial concerns there had eased after the development of better road infrastructure,” he said.The complete shift of civilian operations has also triggered political debate, with Visakhapatnam North MLA and senior BJP leader P Vishnu Kumar Raju opposing the closure of the existing airport for commercial operations.“We are not against the inauguration of Bhogapuram Airport. But we want the government to consider that international and long-haul domestic flights should operate from the new airport while short-distance domestic services should continue from the existing airport within the Naval Airfield,” he said.He also expressed confidence that the Indian Navy could accommodate limited civilian flight operations during specific hours.“Our main concern is about the accessibility of the new airport. While passengers currently reach Visakhapatnam airport within about 30 minutes, travelling to Bhogapuram could require leaving home nearly two hours in advance,” he said.