Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the flight services between Bhubaneswar and Utkela Airport in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Thursday morning.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia joined the event virtually through videoconferencing and also inaugurated the newly-constructed Utkela Airport along with the CM on the occasion. Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu and Public Enterprises, SSEPD and Science and Technology Minister Ashok Panda were also present at Bhubaneswar airport.
“Glad to flag off first flight between Bhubaneswar and newly inaugurated Utkela Airport in Kalahandi district. The airport has added yet another golden chapter to Odisha’s aviation sector. It will boost connectivity, commerce and tourism, fulfilling aspirations of people of the region,” Naveen tweeted.
It is the fifth airport in Odisha after BPIA, Jharsuguda, Jeypore and Rourkela to start flight operations. With this, a long standing demand for flight operation to Utkela has been fulfilled and the travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. The presence of attractive places and tourist destinations like Manikeswari Temple, Phurli Jharan Waterfall, Rabandhara waterfall, Khariapat wildlife sanctuary will attract many tourists after air connectivity at Utkela. Senior doctors, professors of Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College and Hospital, Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi and businessmen from the city will fly out and in frequently, a CMO release said.
Kalahandi is considered as a commercial hub of eestern Odisha which has seen a rapid growth in its population and industry. The flight operation in this route will boost the industry and tourism sector, it added.
According to its official website, the airline will connect Utkela to Bhubaneswar with 2X weekly flights on Tuesday and Thursday. The flight will take off from BPIA in Bhubaneswar at 7.15 am and arrive in Utkela at 8.25 am. It will leave the new airport at 8.50 am and land at Bhubaneswar at 10 am. The introductory one-way fare was fixed at Rs 999 per passenger. The ticket price comes to around Rs 1049.
All tickets between Utkela and Bhubaneswar are sold out for the month of September, according to the website.
Utkela Airport is among the airstrips listed under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. The state government has spent around Rs 162 crore for acquisition of land, construction of runway and terminal building for the airport in Bhawanipatna. Director General Civil Aviation Monday (DGCA) issued the licence to start flight operations on August 7.
Earlier, Utkela Airstrip was used only on handful occasions for flight operations during the arrival of dignitaries.
