From 21 November, booking sites will list Bhogapuram airport as ‘Visakhapatnam’

Flight booking systems around the world will show the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram under the name “Visakhapatnam” from 21 November, ending a source of confusion for travellers.

The airport, about 40 to 45 km from Visakhapatnam city in Vizianagaram district, has been listed under Bhogapuram since it opened, which made it harder for people searching for flights to Visakhapatnam to find it. Airport officials pursued the change with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose codes and city names feed airline and travel-agency booking systems, for nearly two months.

The background

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the airport on 1 August 2026. All scheduled passenger flights moved there from the old Visakhapatnam airport, a civil enclave at the Navy’s INS Dega air station, on 17 August. The new airport took over Visakhapatnam’s three-letter code, VTZ, so that existing bookings and tickets stayed valid; its four-letter ICAO code is VOVI.

The longer trip to the airport has been the main complaint since the move. Getting there from the city’s RTC Complex can take around 105 minutes at peak hours, and better road and public transport links have been a constant demand.

What it means for travellers

Nothing changes for tickets already booked. From 21 November, a search for “Visakhapatnam” on airline and travel websites should simply show flights from Bhogapuram, the city’s only commercial airport now.