Vizag Airport Closure: Civil flight operations at Visakhapatnam Airport have ended as scheduled commercial services move to the newly developed Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh. The transition marks a major change in Visakhapatnam’s aviation infrastructure. The old airport, which operates from the Indian Navy’s INS Dega airfield, had long handled both civilian and military aviation. With Bhogapuram now taking over commercial operations, the existing facility is set to return to a primarily defence-oriented role. The shift is not simply about moving flights from one location to another. It is linked to the limitations of the existing airport, increasing civil-military airspace congestion, the need for a dedicated civilian aviation facility and Visakhapatnam’s long-term growth plans.
Here are five key reasons behind the major move.
Existing Vizag Airport Has Limited Scope for Expansion
One of the biggest reasons for developing Bhogapuram was the limited expansion potential of the existing Visakhapatnam airport. The current airport operates from a naval airfield within the city. Although it has received infrastructure upgrades over the years, including a new runway in 2007 and a passenger terminal in 2009, the location and shared-use nature of the facility restrict further expansion.
As passenger traffic and airline requirements increase, a larger dedicated airport is needed to accommodate additional flights, terminals and supporting infrastructure. Bhogapuram has been planned as a scalable greenfield airport, giving authorities significantly more room for future development. The project’s first phase is designed to handle 6 million passengers annually, while later phases are planned to increase capacity to 12 million and ultimately 18 million passengers per year.
Civil-Military Airspace Congestion Is a Major Issue
The existing Visakhapatnam airport has a unique operational structure because it functions as a civilian airport within a strategically important naval airfield. Civil and military aircraft have therefore had to operate within the same broader aviation environment. According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) airspace restructuring documents reported by The New Indian Express, increasing congestion between civil and military flight operations has made separation necessary. The Indian Navy is also taking greater control of the restructured Visakhapatnam airspace as civilian aviation moves to Bhogapuram.
Moving commercial flights to a separate civilian airport will allow the Navy to manage the existing airfield and surrounding military airspace more independently. At the same time, Bhogapuram has been integrated into the eastern Air Traffic Service network with new control areas, navigation infrastructure and revised air routes designed for civilian aviation.
Bhogapuram Provides a Dedicated Civilian Airport
The existing Visakhapatnam airport is fundamentally different from Bhogapuram because the former operates from a defence airfield. The new airport has been developed specifically as a civilian greenfield airport. This distinction is important for future airline operations. Bhogapuram has its own airport infrastructure, including a new ATC tower, communication and navigation systems, surveillance facilities and Category-I Instrument Landing System capability.
The new arrangement also allows civilian and military aviation activities to be more clearly separated. Under the original agreement between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Andhra Pradesh government, the Visakhapatnam Civil Enclave at INS Dega was to be closed for civilian operations for 30 years from the commencement of Bhogapuram airport operations. Therefore, the closure of scheduled civilian operations at the old airport is not an unexpected development but part of the broader Bhogapuram project framework.
Bhogapuram Has Much Greater Capacity for Future Growth
Another major reason for the move is passenger-handling capacity. The first phase of Bhogapuram airport has been planned to handle 6 million passengers per year. The second phase is intended to increase capacity to 12 million passengers, while the third phase is planned to take total capacity to 18 million passengers annually. This gives the airport significantly greater long-term expansion potential than the existing city-based facility. The airport also has a 3,800-metre runway and was planned with a 5,000-square-metre cargo terminal as part of the broader development project. The larger infrastructure is expected to help airlines handle growing passenger demand while providing space for future expansion.
New Airport Is Intended to Support Regional Development
The Bhogapuram airport is also being positioned as more than a replacement for the old Vizag facility. The Union government’s project documents describe it as an infrastructure project that can support tourism and economic development in northern Andhra Pradesh. A larger civilian airport could improve air connectivity for Visakhapatnam and surrounding areas while creating opportunities for tourism, business travel, logistics and other economic activity. The airport’s location outside the congested city environment also provides greater scope for long-term development around the aviation hub. However, the move has also generated concerns among some travellers because Bhogapuram is farther from central Visakhapatnam than the old airport.
Why Are Some Passengers Emotional About Vizag Airport Closure?
While the infrastructure case for Bhogapuram is centred on capacity and long-term development, the closure of the old airport has an emotional side for many residents. The Visakhapatnam airport had served the city for decades, and frequent travellers had become accustomed to its central location. Some passengers visited the old facility on its final day to recall their experiences and bid farewell. For frequent travellers, the airport’s location was one of its biggest advantages. Passengers could often reach the facility relatively quickly from different parts of the city. The move to Bhogapuram means longer road journeys for many residents, even though the new airport offers substantially greater scope for future expansion.
What Happens to the Old Visakhapatnam Airport?
The shift of civilian flights does not mean that the old facility will simply disappear. The airport is located at INS Dega and has a long association with the Indian Navy. Civil aviation began there in 1962, while naval operations started in 1972. The airfield was formally transferred to the Navy in 1986 and was later commissioned as INS Dega. With commercial aviation moving to Bhogapuram, the existing facility can increasingly focus on its defence and naval functions. The change therefore also represents a clearer separation between civilian and military aviation in the Visakhapatnam region.
What Makes Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport Different?
Bhogapuram has been developed as a large greenfield international airport rather than as an expansion of an existing defence airfield. The first phase is planned for six million passengers annually, with the ultimate three-phase capacity targeted at 18 million passengers per year. The airport has also been integrated into a redesigned air traffic system, with new navigation infrastructure and revised routes intended to support high-capacity civilian operations. These features are intended to give Visakhapatnam an airport capable of supporting its aviation requirements for decades rather than relying on an increasingly constrained city-based facility.
Bhogapuram Begins a New Chapter for Visakhapatnam Aviation
The transfer of commercial flight operations from Visakhapatnam Airport to Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is therefore driven by several interconnected factors. Limited expansion space, civil-military airspace congestion, the need for a dedicated civilian airport, higher passenger capacity and long-term regional development are the key reasons behind the shift.
The old Vizag airport will remain an important part of the city’s aviation history and defence infrastructure. But for commercial aviation, Bhogapuram is now intended to become the region’s primary gateway. The move may bring short-term challenges, particularly for passengers concerned about the greater distance from the city. In the longer term, however, the larger greenfield airport is designed to give Visakhapatnam considerably more room for aviation growth and connectivity.
