NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh‘s Vizianagaram district, a nearly Rs 5,000 crore project that the state government says will transform North Andhra into a major economic and industrial hub.The PM was accorded a grand ceremonial welcome, with around 13,500 tribal women performing the traditional Dhimsa dance. The airport premises were adorned with displays celebrating Andhra Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage, including Etikoppaka artwork and motifs depicting the state’s geographical identity.PM Modi was received by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, and union civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu. He later witnessed the Dhimsa performance before formally inaugurating the airport.Developed by the GMR Group, the airport has been named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. It has been designed to handle six million passengers annually in its first phase, with a long-term expansion plan to increase capacity to 40 million passengers a year. Commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin on August 17.
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The Andhra Pradesh government has projected the airport as a key catalyst for industrial growth, employment generation, exports, skill development and improved connectivity across North Andhra.Following the inauguration, chief minister Naidu felicitated PM Modi with a traditional shawl before he laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated multiple development projects worth over Rs 17,900 crore. During the visit, Naidu and Union minister Ram Mohan Naidu also briefed the Prime Minister on the airport’s features and future development plans.
