Bhogapuram airport a historic chapter for Uttarandhra, says Union Civil Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Saturday hailed the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram as a historic milestone that would transform the future of Uttarandhra and remain etched in people’s memories for generations.

The Union Minister described the event as far more than a government programme, calling it a celebration for every household in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and other dignitaries, Mr. Rammohan Naidu said that after assuming office as the Union Civil Aviation Minister, he had the privilege of inaugurating 16 aviation-related projects with the Prime Minister.

Noting that none of those projects had witnessed such huge public participation, he said that the occasion held a special significance for himself as a native of Uttarandhra.

Mr. Rammohan Naidu recalled that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had initiated the Bhogapuram airport project during his earlier tenure, while then Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju had played a key role in taking it forward and Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally made it happen.

It is a remarkable coincidence that the airport was finally inaugurated during the NDA’s tenure, with himself serving as the Union Civil Aviation Minister.

The Union Minister expressed confidence that the new international airport would open up unprecedented opportunities in investment, tourism, trade, industry and employment, while placing the region prominently on the global map. He said that the Centre was planning to establish training facilities for the aviation workforce in the region to equip the local youth with skills and generate employment opportunities in the fast-growing aviation sector.

Bhogapuram airport would also boost tourism and improve connectivity to the region’s prominent religious destinations. Besides, the present projects such as Google data centre, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) project and the South Coast Railway Zone, together would make Uttarandhra a major economic hub, he added.