The first test flight is scheduled to land at Bhogapuram International Airport on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu will arrive on an Air India flight from New Delhi. He will be joined by Vizianagaram MP Kalisetty Appala Naidu, officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The airport project, approved by the State government in 2015, faced delays due to initial land acquisition problems caused by farmer resistance. Now, about 95% of construction is complete, with only minor works left. Authorities plan to begin regular commercial flights from June 2026. Bhogapuram Airport was planned as an alternative to the existing Visakhapatnam International Airport, which is controlled by the Indian Navy. The Navy restricts flight slots to train its pilots, limiting availability for commercial airlines. This has caused some airlines, including international ones, to avoid Visakhapatnam due to slot constraints. The issue peaked during the previous Chandrababu Naidu government, prompting the Centre to approve Bhogapuram airport construction in October 2016. Built by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), the airport spans 2,203 acres and has a 3.8 km long runway. While airport construction moves quickly, access road delays remain a concern. Roads linking National Highway-16 and the planned six-lane Beach Road from Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram are unfinished. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat said they met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to secure access points near Tagarapuvalasa for passenger convenience. The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) has acquired land for eight arterial roads to the airport.