Visakhapatnam, Aug 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, near here, on Saturday.
After landing at the runway of the Greenfield Airport, the Prime Minister inaugurated the passenger terminal building and undertook a walk-through along with Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu.
The top leadership of GMR Group and the Civil Aviation Minister explained the special features of the airport to the Prime Minister.
The terminal was decorated to showcase the culture, traditions, and arts of Andhra Pradesh.
PM Modi had a close look at large-scale Etikoppaka artwork displayed at the airport’s welcome gate.
When the PM stepped out of the airport and headed towards the venue of the public meeting on a special vehicle along with Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and others, tribal women performed the traditional ‘Dhimsa’ dance to welcome him.
According to officials, the ‘Dhimsa’ dance by 13,500 tribal women created a Guinness World Record.
The Prime Minister was seen clapping to appreciate the colourful and impressive dance performance by tribal women.
At the public meeting venue, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore in Bhogapuram and address the gathering on the occasion.
Developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of over ₹5,640 crore, the Greenfield airport has been designed to handle 6 million passengers annually.
The airport is expected to provide a significant boost to tourism, trade, investment and employment generation in Andhra Pradesh while strengthening air connectivity in the region.
The passenger terminal building has been designed to provide a modern, seamless and efficient travel experience.
The airport incorporates advanced infrastructure, cutting-edge technologies and sustainable features to enhance operational efficiency and meet future aviation requirements.
The airport has been equipped with advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Airside 4.0 technologies, Airport Predictive Operations Centre (APOC), biometric passenger processing, automated baggage handling systems and intelligent operational monitoring solutions. These systems are expected to enhance operational efficiency, improve passenger convenience and safety, and optimise resource utilisation.
