Infrastructure major L&T has secured the contract to build the greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh.

The Buildings & Factories & Transportation Infrastructure businesses of L&T Construction have been awarded a contract by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the Bhogapuram International Airport, the company said in a stock filing.

The project will initially be developed to handle 6 MPA (million passengers per annum) capacity with provisions for future expansion to handle up to 12 MPA.

The scope of work includes terminal construction with integrated airport systems, Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower installation, airfield development (including a 3800-meter South Runway, Apron, Taxiways, Airfield Ground Lighting, Fuel Hydrant facilities, and other essential infrastructure), landside facilities such as roads and landscaping, as well as utilities and support amenities.

L&T is presently executing the construction works of major airports at Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Navi Mumbai.

Foundation Stone in May 2023

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had laid the foundation for the Bhogapuram airport on 3 May.

Located about 50 km from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in Bhogapuram, the new airport will serve as an alternative to the existing airport in Vizag, primarily constructed to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy.

GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of GMR Airports Ltd (GAL), is the concessionaire for the development and operations of Bhogapuram airport near Visakhapatnam.

The project involves the design, finance, construction, development, operation and maintenance of the airport for a period of 40 years, extendable by an additional 20 years.

This new airport project in the bustling coastal city of Andhra Pradesh, which also boasts a major port and a steel unit, is part of GMR’s strategic push to expand its aviation infrastructure business.

The Vizag airport will mark GMR’s fourth major airport in India, joining the ranks of those in Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa.