Archive · 18 Aug 2026
IndiGo flight first to land at Bhogapuram's new airport
A brand-new airport in India started working on Monday.
It is called Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport and it is in Bhogapuram, near the city of Visakhapatnam.
The very first plane to land was an IndiGo flight that came from Hyderabad.
The airport is built and run by a company called GMR.
India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, officially opened the airport on August 1.
The old airport in Visakhapatnam, which was 40 years old, has now been closed.
On the first day, planes also arrived from Abu Dhabi and Singapore.
The planes got a special water cannon salute to celebrate their arrival.
The new airport will help people in north Andhra Pradesh travel to more places around the world.
It is a big step for the region's growth and connectivity.
Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram commenced commercial operations on Monday.
IndiGo flight 6E 6408 from Hyderabad was the first flight to arrive at the new airport.
Operations began 16 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on August 1, following the closure of the 40-year-old Visakhapatnam International Airport.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu flagged off operations and handed boarding passes to passengers on inaugural IndiGo and Air India Express flights.
First international arrivals included IndiGo from Abu Dhabi and Scoot from Singapore, with 52 air traffic movements planned on day one.
- Who
- Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), led by CEO Kanwarbir Singh Kalra.
- What
- Commercial operations commenced at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram, with IndiGo 6E 6408 from Hyderabad as the first flight.
- When
- Monday, 16 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on August 1.
- Where
- Bhogapuram, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
- Why
- To usher in a new era of connectivity, economic opportunity, and regional growth for north Andhra Pradesh.
- Airport
- Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (Bhogapuram)
- Operator
- GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL)
- First flight
- IndiGo 6E 6408 (Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam)
- Inauguration
- August 1, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Replaced airport
- Visakhapatnam International Airport (40 years old, closed)
- First international arrivals
- IndiGo 6E 1443 (Abu Dhabi) and Scoot TR 784 (Singapore)
- Day one traffic
- 52 planned air traffic movements
- Location
- Bhogapuram, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh