Why the Visakhapatnam airport shut, and what still flies from INS Dega
The 10.45 p.m. IndiGo to Delhi was the final scheduled service from the civil enclave at INS Dega. From 12.01 a.m. on Monday, every airline flight moves to Bhogapuram, and the code VTZ moves with them
On Sunday, August 16, 2026, the Visakhapatnam airport marked its final day of commercial operations. The last scheduled flight, an IndiGo service to New Delhi, took off at 10:45 p.m. The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram opened at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 17, ending civil operations at the INS Dega enclave after 30 years.
Non-scheduled civil flights and naval flying continue at INS Dega, which has been under the sole control of the Navy since July 9. The Airports Authority of India thanked the Indian Navy, CISF, BCAS, DGCA, Customs, Immigration, airlines and ground handlers for their partnership. The 30-year condition for civil movements at the naval field was established in January 2016 to clear site for Bhogapuram.
The airfield at Buchirajapalem, originally set up by the Royal Air Force in 1941, saw Squadron Leader David Small form his flight on April 1, 1942, marking the first patrol over Vizagapatam. Small and Pilot Officer Maurice Barker used the airfield for their first mission on April 6, 1942, witnessing Japanese attacks on the city.
The airfield saw various naval aviation activities over the years, including Dakotas for paratroop drops during World War II and naval squadrons from 1986 onwards. The present integrated terminal, built in 2009, has seen civil traffic grow tremendously, reaching 27.84 lakh passengers in 2023-24.
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