The Bhubaneswar airport will receive its first international flight as IndiGo started direct service to Dubai on May 15, according to officials. On the occasion of Utkal Dibasa (statehood day), Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ticket sales for the flight on Saturday.
The first eight tickets were distributed by the CM to Mission Shakti women, athletes, tribal leaders, and artists. The ticket recipients included Sundargarh SDC Chairperson Binay Kumar Toppo, Keonjhar SDC Chairperson Laxmi Nayak, Koraput DLF President Jyotirekha Chetty, Sand Artist Sudarshan Patnaik, Footballer Anuradha Biswal, Shooter Shriyanka Sadangi, Balaram Rout from Jajpur Govt Polytechnic, and Himansu Sahoo from Rourkela Govt ITI.
Bhubaneswar to Dubai Schedule
IndiGo will offer the service three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. According to an official, the initial ticket price is Rs 10,000 per sector. A PTI report further quoted the officials as saying that flights to Singapore and Bangkok will also begin soon.
“Connectivity is essential for development, and our government has prioritised it. Direct connectivity with Dubai, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, will provide a global gateway,” Patnaik explained. According to him, the flight service will have a significant multiplier effect on investment in Odisha in sectors such as IT, manufacturing, and tourism.
Odisha metro project
In another development, on the statehood day of Odisha, CM Patnaik approved a metro rail project for Bhubaneswar. According to official sources in the Housing and Urban Development Department, the metro will run from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Netaji Bridge, the entry point to Cuttack from north Bhubaneswar, in the first phase. It will travel over 20 kilometres, passing through Bhubaneswar railway station, Vani Vihar, Patia, and Nandankanan.
(With agency inputs)
