The airport's foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu on 14 February 2019, with initial plans to develop the mega aerotropolis on an estimated 5,311 acres of land, consisting of Bhogapuram Airport, cargo facilities, an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility and an aviation academy. The government has only acquired 2,703 acres of land because of land agitation from locals, including 1,673 acres of government land allotted for the project. However, the successive YSRCP government fixed 2,200 acres to GMR Group and reduced the land for the purpose while keeping aside 500 acres of land under the state government. The airport would be constructed on a final 2,200-acre site in and around Bhogapuram that serves the city of Visakhapatnam.The foundation stone for the airport was re-laid on 3 May 2023 and as the construction begins, the project is expected to be completed by March 2025. The project is planned to be developed in 3-phased manner. Upon completion of Phase 1, the terminal handling capacity is expected to be 6 million passengers per year, and is further expected to rise to 12 million passengers per year upon completion of Phase 2. By the completion of the phase 3, the total passenger capacity is expected to touch 18 million passengers per year. The phase 1 is estimated at a cost of ₹4,592 crore (US$550 million)In May 2024, reports suggested that the airport construction will be completed within 18 months. Many infrastructure projects are being developed for connectivity between Visakhapatnam and the airport.