VISAKHAPATNAM: Immigration services at the old Visakhapatnam airport have formally ended. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification, S.O. 6103(E), dated November 9, removing the airport from the list of designated immigration checkposts. The notification was issued under Section 4(1) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Scheduled commercial flights from the old airport stopped on August 17, when all services moved to the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, along with the VTZ airport code. With no commercial flights left at the old airport, it no longer needed immigration status.
What changes for travellers
- All international arrivals and departures for the region now use Bhogapuram
- Passport, visa and customs checks take place only there
- The Centre notified Bhogapuram as an immigration checkpost in July
Some residents of Visakhapatnam city have raised concerns about the longer distance and travel time to the new airport. Officials say its facilities and international connections will support development in the region.
