Overview
- An Air India Airbus A320 from Delhi carrying Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu and AAI/DGCA officials touched down around 11 a.m. and received a ceremonial water-cannon welcome.
- Developers report roughly 95–97% physical completion, with remaining work limited to minor civil and interior tasks at the GMR-built greenfield facility.
- The validation assessed runway, navigational aids and operational readiness as part of the process to secure an aerodrome licence before regular flights can begin.
- Officials are targeting the launch of commercial operations in June 2026, with dates referenced around late June subject to final regulatory clearances.
- Access remains a concern as the site sits about 50 km from Visakhapatnam and key approach roads and corridors are still under development.