Bhogapuram airport commute: ₹300 by RTC e-bus, ₹800 to ₹1,500 by cab from Visakhapatnam

A seat on the electric bus to Visakhapatnam’s new airport at Bhogapuram is expected to cost around ₹300. The same journey by cab is likely to cost between ₹700 and ₹1,500.

The fare structure is taking shape ahead of the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, on Saturday (August 1, 2026). Commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin on August 17.

The pricing largely reflects the distance involved. The airport is located off National Highway-16, near the Vizianagaram district border, around 43 to 50 km from the Visakhapatnam city.

When The Hindu drove from its office in Seethammadhara to the new airport site recently, the journey took about 75 minutes. From CMR Central in Gajuwaka, the distance is 60.4 km, making it a longer trip when compared to the other big cities airports serving Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai, which sit far outside. From Anandapuram, it is 23 km and about half an hour’s journey.

Sources in the corporation said: “The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) expects to price its airport electric buses fare at about ₹300 from the core city (Visakhapatnam) and about ₹100 from the Madhurawada belt, 34 km away.” The fare card is yet to be approved and is expected before commercial operations begin, they added.

In the first phase, the corporation will run 20 electric buses, with 10 e-buses on each of the two routes.

The first route will run from Gajuwaka through NAD Junction, Gurudwara, Maddilapalem, Madhurawada and Anandapuram to the airport. The travel time is about one hour and 45 minutes, about 12 minutes longer than a cab journey.

The second route runs from Gajuwaka through Scindia, Visakhapatnam Railway Station, the VMRDA Park on Beach Road, IT Hills in Madhurawada, Marikavalasa and Anandapuram. The journey is expected to take about two hours. Officials said services would be stepped up and routes added, depending on demand, after the airport opens.

The cab market

At about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026), when The Hindu checked app-based rides—Ola, Uber and Rapido— the fares quoted from ₹1,000 to ₹1,100 from the city’s arterial roads, ₹700 to ₹900 from Madhurawada, and up to ₹1,500 from Gajuwaka, depending on traffic, demand and the operator. The cheapest ride checked was ₹700 from the Madhurawada belt; and the highest was ₹1,440 from CMR Central. No app-based fare is fixed. According to the aggregator rate guides rush-hours lift fares 1.4 to 1.6 times, while rain and weekends can push prices to nearly twice the normal fare. During festival periods, fares can peak up to as much as three times. The quoted fares are indicative and can vary by around ₹400 give or take.

For now, Bhogapuram airport does not levy any airport toll or pickup fee on cab rides.

A look at the expected e-bus fares and real-time cab quotes collected from across Visakhapatnam

Fares checked at about 4.30 p.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026). Distances and drive times are from Google Maps directions and vary by hour and traffic. Any app fare can move by about ₹400 either way in peak hours, rain or high demand. Bus fares await APSRTC approval.