The upgraded airport was opened for passenger traffic in 1999 by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

[8] The then Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu, laid the foundation stone for the project on 20 February 2019.

[11] The foundation stone was laid in October 2010 by Manmohan Singh, then Prime Minister of India.

[12][13] Construction began in 2012,[14] and the terminal was inaugurated on 22 October 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The airport requires planes to fly no more than an altitude of 853 m (2,799 ft) because the Venkateswara Temple which is located on the nearby hill of Tirumala, is considered sacred.