Air India announced it will replace all scheduled flights to and from Visakhapatnam International Airport (VTZ) with the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (VTZ), also known as Bhogapuram Airport, in Andhra Pradesh, starting Aug. 17, the new airport’s operational debut. Both airports share the code VTZ because Bhogapuram is taking it over from Visakhapatnam, which ended all scheduled flight operations a day earlier, on Aug. 16 and ceded the code to Bhogapuram Airport.
New airport
Now assuming the code VTZ from Visakhapatnam International Airport, Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport will take over all flight operations, including Air India flights to Bhogapuram.
Both airports are in northern Andhra Pradesh, on India’s southeastern coast, about 55 kilometres apart.
Speaking about the flight operations, Air India stated:
“Air India will continue to operate 14 weekly flights between Bhogapuram and Delhi offering customers convenient connectivity to key domestic and international destinations through its hubs.”
Bhogapuram Airport
The new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is in the village of Bhogapuram and was initially inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Aug. 1, 2026, before starting operations on Aug.17.
The new airport covers 77,342 square metres and is designed to increase passenger capacity and introduce automation, with 22 check-in counters, automated baggage handling, 12 self-baggage drop facilities, and seven aerobridges.
It is set to replace Visakhapatnam International Airport, which covers 20,400 square metres. The airport was used for civil aviation operations since 1962, stopping soon after due to low usage. Flights resumed again in 1976, before flight operations ended permanently on Aug. 16, 2026.
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