The state government received a shot in the arm over its long pending demand to accord international tag for Biju Patnaik Airport here following Air Odisha Aviation introduced its flight services in the state on Friday.
The air service, in the first phase will be available for Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda and Rourkela which in a later stage will be extended to some major industrial hubs of the state, according to company officials. Odisha-based Air Odisha is also mulling to extend the flight services to Vizag and Tirupati, looking at the increasing demand among passengers.
On Friday the 9-seated aircraft took off from Bhubaneswar airport at 9:45am and landed at the Durlaga airport in Jharsuguda taking a flying time of nearly one hour. The flight service was flagged off by state Tourism and Culture minister Maheswar Mohanty. According to Air Odisha officials, the daily flight from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela via Jharsuguda will be later extended to Raipur.
The state is planning to develop at least five greenfield airports, at upcoming industrial centres like Paradip, Dhamra, Angul, Kalinganagar and Rayagada. Moreover, it has also proposed to upgrade existing airstrips at Gopalpur, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Barbil and Rourkela.
