A view of the approach route to the Bhogapuram International Airport, located about 45 km from Visakhapatnam. K.R. Deepak
| Photo Credit: KR DEEPAK
Srikakulam District Collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said on Thursday (July 30, 2026) that 737 buses would be operated from different parts of the district to the international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district on August 1, 2026. He said the district administration had made elaborate arrangements for breakfast and lunch for people attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting at the airport premises on Saturday.
An exclusive control room had been set up to monitor the movement of buses and the facilities created for Srikakulam residents, he said. LED screens had been put up at various places to let people know about the facilities at the new airport, and Mr. Pundkar said the drone visuals shown on those screens on Wednesday had drawn appreciation from the people.
Meanwhile, TDP leaders in Srikakulam district are jubilant over the construction of the airport at Bhogapuram. Andhra Pradesh Kalinga Komati Corporation Chairman and senior TDP leader Boina Govindarajulu said the airport was built quickly because of the constant follow-up by Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, who is the Srikakulam Lok Sabha MP.
He said the airport would also be a big advantage for air travellers. Earlier they had to travel up to Visakhapatnam, and now they need travel hardly 45 km from Srikakulam to reach the new airport, he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA of the Etcherla Assembly constituency N. Eswara Rao said on Thursday that the Bhogapuram-Pydibhimavaram stretch would become a major industrial and economic hub of Andhra Pradesh, since the distance between the two places is hardly 20-25 km. Along with other public representatives, he visited the airport premises and reviewed the food and other arrangements for people attending the inauguration on August 1, 2026.
“Bhogapuram, Pydibhimavaram and Etcherla are on the same stretch of National Highway 16. The stretch is already known for multinational bulk drug industries in Pydibhimavaram and the surrounding areas. Now, the airport, an aviation university and the Reliance data centre will ensure the quick development of the region. The established civic infrastructure on this stretch will help people settle here happily,” Mr. Eswara Rao said.
Published – July 30, 2026 02:32 pm IST
