Visakhapatnam, Feb 15 (IANS): The foundation stone for Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayanagaram was laid on Thursday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who performed the ground breaking ceremony at Bhogapuram, about 40 km from here, said the airport would spur the economic development of north coastal Andhra.

To be developed on 2,703 acres under public-private partnership mode, it will be an integrated airport with an Aerocity, a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and an Aviation Academy.

The need for a greenfield airport was felt in the region due to limitations in expansion of Visakhapatnam Airport, which belongs to the Indian Navy and also the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Officials said this would be developed on the lines of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The airport would come up between the national highway and the coast. The location was selected after surveys by the state government and also Airport Authority of India (AAI) found it suitable.

Currently, Visakhapatnam Airport is handling 10 lakh passengers annually.