# Bhogapuram airport to start commercial flights on August 17, 2026 2026-08-14T23:32:06+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh will begin commercial operations on August 17, 2026, with scheduled domestic and international passenger services moving from the existing airport, The Hindu BusinessLine reports. Developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport under a public-private partnership, it will operate under the IATA code VTZ. The airport’s 77,342-square-metre terminal has an initial capacity of six million passengers a year, expandable beyond 40 million, and includes a 3,800-metre runway and 18 aircraft stands. The Hans India, citing the state government, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate it on August 1, but this differs from the commercial operations date reported by The Hindu BusinessLine. The government also estimates Phase-I costs at Rs 4,500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com - thehansindia.com Tags: Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, Andhra Pradesh, aviation, GMR Group Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bhogapuram-airport-to-begin-operations-from-august-17/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bhogapuram-airport-to-begin-operations-from-august-17/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.