Visakhapatnam, Jan 4 (IANS) The first commercial validation flight landed successfully at the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport in Vizianagaram district on Sunday, heralding a new era in the aviation sector in Andhra Pradesh.
The Air India flight from New Delhi landed at the Bhogapuram Airport, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, along with senior officials, travelled by the test flight.
The test flight landed on the 3.8 km-long runway, the longest in the country, built with the latest technology.
The airport, being constructed by GMR Group in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis, is expected to be inaugurated in June.
GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Group, is constructing the airport on 2,200 acres of land with an estimated cost of Rs 4,592 crore.
According to GVIAL, 96 per cent of the airport works have been completed.
Speaking on the occasion, Ram Mohan Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate the airport in 4-5 months.
He said the airport would change the face of North Coastal Andhra. The airport is expected to give a big boost to air connectivity to north Andhra and help the region emerge as a major economic hub.
The Bhogapuram Airport is expected to play a key role in the upcoming Visakhapatnam economic region, he said.
Ram Mohan Naidu had earlier said that efforts were on to provide seamless road connectivity to the upcoming airport from Visakhapatnam.
He stated that connectivity would be provided from the port city to the airport through seven points, and the road is likely to be completed by April. He also revealed that the feasibility of an elevated expressway was being examined.
Last month, the Civil Aviation Minister launched Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) EduCity near Bhogapuram Airport.
Coming up on 136 acres, AAD EduCity is claimed to be India's first integrated Aviation, Aerospace and Defence EduCity.
This EduCity is designed as a national capability platform to address the acute global and domestic shortage of aviation professionals and to position India as a leading supplier of aviation talent.
--IANS
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