Andhra Pradesh government cancels the tender process for Bhogapuram airport project

In the latest development, Andhra Pradesh government has canceled the entire tender process for the Bhogapuram airport project. It is a known fact that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was deemed to handle the proposed Bhogapuram Aerotropolis project in Vizianagaram district last year. GMR was the other contender for the project.

Reportedly, the state cabinet, which participated in a meeting headed by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, decided to develop the new greenfield airport under the public-private partnership mode.

“Across 2,703 acres, the scope of Bhogapuram Airport will be expanded from a mere airport to an integrated airport with Aerocity, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), Aviation Academy, etc,” an official press release statement said.

Speaking on why the tenders were canceled for the airport, despite AAI emerging as the winner last year, offering 30.2 percent of the revenue to the state government, Principal Secretary (Energy, Infrastructure, and Investment) Ajay Jain told PTI, “The scope of the project has been expanded. That’s the only reason. We will invite fresh bids and in the meantime, land acquisition will also be complete.”

The airport project at Bhogapuram was proposed three years ago. The airport, which was slated to come up at a distance of 40 km from Visakhapatnam, intended at equipping the city with a civilian airport. The current airport in the city belongs to the Indian Navy.