In 2017, which Indian airport was upgraded and officially declared an international airport by the Government of India?

Introduction / Context:
India has been steadily expanding its aviation infrastructure to support economic growth and international connectivity. Upgrading domestic airports to international status allows direct overseas flights and improves regional development prospects. This question checks awareness of a major civil aviation decision taken in 2017, when one of the airports listed was officially declared an international airport by the Government of India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The year mentioned is 2017.
• The options are four important Indian cities with operational airports: Chennai, Kolkata, Vijayawada and Patna.
• The task is to identify which airport was newly upgraded to international status in that year.
• Chennai and Kolkata were already well established international airports before 2017.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall which of these airports did not previously have international status but was granted that status in 2017. Chennai and Kolkata had long been major international hubs, so they are unlikely to be the answer in the context of a recent upgrade. Patna airport serves the capital of Bihar but was not declared a new international airport in 2017. Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh, was specifically upgraded to international status to support the new capital region development and to improve direct connectivity to foreign destinations.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that Chennai and Kolkata are metro cities with long standing international terminals and routes, so they had international status before 2017. Step 2: Consider Patna. It is an important regional airport, but there was no widely reported announcement in 2017 about its upgrade to full international status. Step 3: Recall that the Government of India approved the proposal to declare Vijayawada Airport an international airport to serve the new administrative capital region of Andhra Pradesh. Step 4: This decision was part of a broader plan to boost connectivity and investment in the state following its reorganisation. Step 5: Therefore, among the listed options, Vijayawada is the only airport that fits the description of being upgraded to international status in 2017.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling that Chennai International Airport and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata have hosted international flights for many years. News reports around 2017 highlighted Vijayawada being given international status to enable direct flights to destinations like Singapore and other regional hubs. Patna airport has seen upgrades, but the key 2017 international status upgrade was for Vijayawada. This consistency across separate sources and news memories confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Chennai: Already operated as an international airport for a long time; it was not a new upgrade in 2017.
Kolkata: Similarly, Kolkata airport was already functioning as an international airport, so it does not match the recent declaration mentioned in the question.
Patna: Although important regionally, there was no major 2017 decision declaring it an international airport comparable to the widely reported Vijayawada upgrade.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may focus on the prominence of a city instead of the timing of the airport's upgrade. Since Chennai and Kolkata are larger cities, some test takers automatically assume they must be the correct answers. The key phrase in the question is "recently in 2017," which directs attention toward a newer development, not already well established hubs. Carefully reading the timeframe helps avoid this confusion.

Final Answer:
The airport that was upgraded and declared an international airport in 2017 is Vijayawada.