The newly-developed greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport in Andhra Pradesh witnessed a successful validation of its first domestic test flight on Sunday. The test flight comes as the airport nears completion ahead of its planned commercial operations.
The test flight of an Air India aircraft flying in from New Delhi carrying Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and senior officials onboard landed on the airport’s 3.8-km runway in the early hours of Sunday (January 4).
This validation flight is part of final checks required before regular passenger and cargo services begin. Following the flight’s landing, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the successful test is a “new milestone”.
When will commercial operations begin?
After landing at the newly refurbished airport, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told ANI that the Bhogapuram Airport is a prestigious project with the potential to unlock significant regional development. “The airport, planned and initiated between 2014 and 2019, will be ready to serve the people with commercial flight operations in 3-4 months from June 2026,” the chief minister announced in a post on X.
Once operational, Bhogapuram will not only strengthen passenger connectivity but also support cargo and logistics growth by linking the region more directly to national and international air networks.
Airport scale, capacity and infrastructure
Spread over about 2,200 acres, the airport is being built by GMR Group in a public-private partnership. As per officials involved with the project, the facility is expected to serve millions of passengers annually, ease congestion at nearby airports and significantly boost travel and trade in North Coastal Andhra once operations begin.
Officials said some interior and civil works are being finished alongside regulatory approvals. The validation flight completes crucial checks of runway systems, air traffic control, and ground infrastructure all essential for safe commercial service launch.
Bhogapuram Airport is the country’s second greenfield airport after the recently-inaugurated Navi Mumbai airport. As per officials, the airport can operate as many as 200 planes a day, while around 18 planes can be parked during nighttime.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the airport is built at a cost of around ₹4,725 crore and is equipped to handle 18 million passengers per year. However, in the initial phase, the airport is set to handle around 6 million passengers a year.
The 3.8-km-long runway has been designed to accommodate even wide-body aircraft, including Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8. The airport will also feature an aerotropolis, an aviation hub, and a dedicated state-of-the-art cargo terminal, ensuring world-class facilities for efficient cargo operations.