GMR to develop greenfield Bhogapuram airport in AP

GMR Infrastructure has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop a greenfield airport at Bhogapuram, near the port city of Visakhapatnam. GMR won the bid by offering to pay ₹303 per passenger fee, while GVK had offered ₹202. Reliance Airport Developers, Essel Infraprojects, Fairfast India Holdings, and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund had also participated in the bidding. AAI had agreed to shut the Vizag airport from 2022 for which the state government will compensate AAI, informed an official of the Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited, the nodal agency of Bhogapuram airport. The state Cabinet has accorded approval to the project. As against 2,700 acres, which was to be handed over for the development of the airport, GMR will now get 2,200 acres. The remaining 500 acres will be with the state government for development. Bhogapuram airport is a strategically located, high-potential airport, said G K Kishore, executive director (South), and chief innovation officer, GMR Airports. For GMR, it is the second greenfield airport project in India. The group will also develop the new Mopa airport in Goa.