Farewell to Visakhapatnam International Airport

On the occasion of the inauguration of Alluri Sitaramaraju International Airport, Bhogapuram, by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 01 August 2026, a few chronicles of the present Visakhapatnam International Airport are presented.

A Wartime Airstrip Finds New Life

The Second World War led to the necessity of an airbase at Visakhapatnam by the Royal Air Force at the present location south of the Naval Armament Depot (NAD). It was disused after the war and was unlocked for civilian flights in 1962, but services were withdrawn after a while due to low patronage. Though the Indian Navy had a helicopter base under INS Circars near the railway tracks, it started a full-fledged naval air station along with hangars in 1976, and the Airports Authority of India ran civilian operations from the first terminal built by the Indian Navy.

Memories at the Old Terminal

NAD Junction and the railway tracks did not have flyovers during the operation of this terminal. One had to wait at the railway crossing for a long time due to the high frequency of up-and-down trains along the busy East Coast. It was at this terminal, my parents tell me, since I was young, that my first visit was to meet movie actor and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N T Rama Rao (NTR). My father used to be posted as a Medical Officer for arriving visitors on behalf of the government. As I was a fan of NTR, I was taken along to see him in person. But it seems I cried after he patted me on my cheeks, and I replied that he did not look like NTR because he did not have a moustache.

Aeroplanes then used to land and take off from the West as there was only one runway initially. The Boeing 737s with their signature radio wires strung from tail to cabin were very loud, and one could hear them for a long time after take-off. My first flight too was on the B737, and the memorable first feel of high acceleration, watching clouds from close range, and the landing thud remain etched in memory.

In 1986 Airports Authority of India transferred the ownership of the airport to Indian Navy and in 1991 it was commissioned as INS Dega consisting of a multitude of flying machines including fighters, trainers, heavy lift helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft etc. Citizens are now familiar with the buzzing sounds of Hawk fighters as well as Seaking helicopters which operate from this base. The Airports Authority of India built a terminal and an Air Traffic Control Tower on the opposite side of INS Dega. Still, the tower remained unused since the INS Dega tower controlled air traffic.

A New Runway Opens Up the East

Along with the national carrier Indian Airlines/Air India, this terminal saw the arrival of the first private airline, East West Airways. A new runway was commissioned, allowing approach and take-off from the East, which put the picturesque city on the world map, renowned for its beautiful captures of landings and take-offs from the seaside.

Air Deccan was the first to use this runway in their first Airbus 320 to Visakhapatnam. Many other private airlines, Jet Airways, Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines, Paramount Air, Air Costa, Spicejet, Indigo, Air Asia followed, setting up service to Visakhapatnam from various cities across the country.

Taking Off to the World

International operations followed to destinations like Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok, renaming it to Visakhapatnam International Airport. A new port access road connecting the airport through the West side of Visakhapatnam Railway Station and the Telugu Talli Flyover has reduced vehicular traffic time and cost, providing fast access to the city centre from and to the airport.

A New Terminal for a Growing City

An increase in air traffic resulted in shifting operations to a new terminal beside the old one, also built and operated by the Airports Authority of India in 2012. Though severely damaged due to a super cyclone, it has been repaired and further modernised. Vehicle parking at the airport is also integrated with ‘Fastag’ for cashless transactions, saving time and fuel. It is one of the few airports in the country first to launch ‘DigiYatra ’, a free, contactless, and paperless air travel system through facial recognition, which allows domestic passengers to pass through airport entry, security, and boarding quickly using their face as their identity.

The City of Destiny Looks Ahead

The City of Destiny is ready for air travel through the new airport built and operated by GMR Group, which has vast experience in running large airports in India and abroad. While looking forward to creating air travel memories under the new roof of Alluri Sitaramaraju International Airport, citizens will continue to weigh the past decades of fond memories of travel and meet-and-greet under the roof of Visakhapatnam International Airport.

This article has been contributed by V V Krishna Mohan.

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