Considering the increasing appetite of people for traveling abroad coupled with the rising number of passengers, the Odisha government has approached top air carriers asking them to start direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Bangkok, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Colombo.
This decision came during Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s high-level meeting on ‘Enhancing Air Connectivity for Odisha’. The meeting was attended by international as well as domestic airlines exploring the possibilities of international air connectivity in the state. A total of 21 companies participated in the conference including 10 international operators.
“The cumulative growth rate of Bhubaneswar airport is 29 percent over the past five years, higher than the nationwide average of 17 percent. This is one of the highest growth rates anywhere in the country. I feel that most of the airlines will come forward and start their flights from Bhubaneswar. Alliance Air is going to start flights connecting Bhubaneswar with Varanasi from January 31 this year. We are also keen to offer flight connectivity to interior parts of Odisha where commercial viability is the concern”, said Pradeep Singh Kharola, secretary, Ministry of Civil aviation.
“In the last few years, the aviation traffic in Odisha has seen immense growth. Though the domestic flight connectivity has seen a noticeable improvement, there is greater scope for international connectivity”, said Naveen Patnaik. “The emergence of globetrotting middle-class has also resulted in rising overseas travel. Hence, the introduction of more international flights from Bhubaneswar to the destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, SriLanka, Hong Kong, and Bangkok will provide convenience and comfort to the people of the state”, he added.