Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district on Saturday. Built at a cost of approximately ₹5,640 crore, the greenfield airport also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects worth approximately ₹17,900 crore.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan were also present on the occasion.
“This is a launchpad for a better future for the youth of Andhra Pradesh.”
Addressing the public gathering, Prime Minister Modi said that today is a very important day for Andhra Pradesh. He said, “This airport is not just an airport, but a launchpad for a better future for the youth of Andhra Pradesh.”
He said that projects related to the airport, roads, energy, and connectivity will create new economic development and employment opportunities for the state.
Launch of development projects worth ₹17,900 crore
The Prime Minister stated that the projects launched today cover sectors such as aviation, clean energy, semiconductors, road connectivity, and energy security. He stated that these projects will accelerate Andhra Pradesh’s development journey and make the state a major hub for investment and industry.
Use of Modern Technologies at the Airport
Bhogapuram International Airport is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Building Information Modeling (BIM), Airside 4.0 technology, Airport Predictive Operations Center (APOC), biometric passenger processing, and an automated baggage handling system.
6 million passenger capacity in the first phase
The airport has been developed to handle 6 million passengers per year in the first phase. The plan is to expand its capacity to 40 million passengers per year in the future. This will be Andhra Pradesh’s seventh airport and regular flight services are expected to commence from August 17.
The Prime Minister also spoke on the naming of airports.
Prime Minister Modi said that previously, airports in the country were named after a single family, but his government has changed this tradition and taken the initiative to name airports after freedom fighters and great personalities of the country. He said that naming Bhogapuram Airport after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju is a symbol of that thinking.