Delhi Airport News: Delhi HC Sends Visakhapatnam Airport Closure Plea to Andhra HC
Delhi Airport News
The Delhi High Court has refused to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the closure of Visakhapatnam Airport for scheduled commercial flights. The court directed the petitioner to approach the Andhra Pradesh High Court, saying that the main impact of the airport closure is being felt by people in Visakhapatnam.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia dismissed the plea on the ground of “forum non conveniens.” The court observed that the Andhra Pradesh High Court was the more appropriate forum to hear the matter because the issue directly affects people in Visakhapatnam. The court also noted that a PIL on the same issue is already pending before the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Commercial flight operations at Visakhapatnam Airport stopped on August 16, 2026. The last scheduled flight was IndiGo flight 6E 2018 to Delhi, which departed at 10:45 pm.
The closure came ahead of the start of operations at the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram. The airport is located around 60 km from Visakhapatnam city.
The Union Aviation Ministry had earlier announced that scheduled commercial operations at the existing Visakhapatnam Airport would remain suspended for 30 years. From August 17, the airport’s IATA code, VTZ, was transferred to the new Bhogapuram airport.
The petitioner, Gopala Krishna Kosaraju, argued that keeping the existing airport closed for 30 years was arbitrary and unreasonable. He said that while the development of a modern airport at Bhogapuram was welcome, shutting down a centrally located airport could create difficulties for residents and passengers.
The PIL also highlighted the public investment made in Visakhapatnam Airport. According to the petition, more than Rs 250 crore of public money had been spent by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on terminal and airside infrastructure in recent years.
The petitioner argued that leaving this infrastructure unused for scheduled commercial operations could result in the waste of public assets. The plea also raised concerns under the Public Trust Doctrine, claiming that public infrastructure should be used in the wider public interest.
The Delhi High Court’s decision does not settle the wider dispute over the airport closure. Instead, it allows the petitioner to take the matter before the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
With scheduled commercial services now operating from Bhogapuram, the issue of the future use of Visakhapatnam Airport is likely to remain an important subject of discussion. The case could also bring attention to questions surrounding public infrastructure, passenger convenience, airport development and the use of assets created with public funds.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
