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Bhogapuram airport begins commercial flight operations
IndiGo and Air India Express began flights from Bhogapuram's new airport Monday, replacing Visakhapatnam. Minister Naidu flagged off operations; investors watch load factors.
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Commercial flight operations began Monday at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram, with an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad touching down at 10:30 a.m. Air India Express followed with a service from Bengaluru. The airport replaces Visakhapatnam's civil enclave, which ended scheduled services on August 16.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off the first flight and handed boarding passes to passengers. "The commencement of commercial flight operations at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is a matter of great happiness and pride," Naidu said. He said the airport would open new opportunities for North Andhra, a region previously described as backward.
For publicly listed entities, the event carries direct exposure. IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, gains a new base in Andhra Pradesh's northern corridor. GMR Airports, the developer and operator of the facility, will earn aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue from the terminal. GMR already runs Delhi and Hyderabad airports, plus Goa. Bhogapuram adds capacity just as Indian domestic traffic is rising.