A validation flight was successfully conducted at the Bhogapuram airport, near Visakhapatnam, on Saturday, its operator GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) said. This marked a key regulatory milestone ahead of its inauguration in June this year.
The validation flight, operated by an Air India aircraft, was conducted in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Andhra Pradesh government, and the leadership of the GMR Group.
The successful validation flight is a mandatory step towards obtaining an aerodrome licence from the aviation regulator and a prerequisite before the start of commercial flight operations. Bhogapuram airport is being developed as a public-private partnership on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
Saturday’s exercise validated the airport’s airside infrastructure, including runway systems, navigational aids and overall operational preparedness, in line with requirements prescribed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). GMR Group Deputy Managing Director I Prabhakar Rao said construction of the airport was over 90 per cent complete and progressing ahead of the stipulated timelines.
Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said the airport would play a critical role in Andhra Pradesh’s economic development. “Visakhapatnam is set to become the economic capital of the East,” he said, adding that the Bhogapuram airport would act as a growth engine by creating employment opportunities, boosting regional industries and improving connectivity for businesses and tourists.
GMR Airports Limited, which operates airports in Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa, among others, has been expanding its footprint through greenfield developments in India and overseas, with Bhogapuram seen as a key addition to its domestic portfolio.
GMR Group Business Chairman (Airports) G B S Raju said the Bhogapuram airport reflected the group’s long-standing focus on building large-scale aviation assets.
The greenfield airport is being developed in phases, with an initial passenger handling capacity of 6 million passengers a year, which will be scaled up in line with traffic growth.
The project also includes plans for an aerotropolis, an aviation hub and a dedicated cargo terminal aimed at supporting efficient cargo operations and boosting regional trade.
