BHUBANESWAR: The longstanding demand for a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat on Thursday got a nod from Union Ministry of Civil Aviation which will commence direct Air India operation between the two destinations from January 1, thanks to Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi who pursued the project.
The flight will operate three days a week. The important air link between Odisha and Gujarat will not only benefit a large population which faced difficulty in travelling, but also boost tourist inflow to both the places.
Delighted by the announcement, Aparajita thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as her request for the direct flight was granted.
Aparajita, along with Surat MP Darshana Jardosh, had met the Union Civil Aviation Minister on July 22 and submitted a proposal in this regard. “This will be of great help for thousands of people from Odisha, especially from places like Ganjam, who work and reside in Surat, shuttle between the two cities frequently,” she added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also thanked the Union Minister for honouring Odisha’s longstanding demand to operate direct flight from Bhubaneswar to Surat. “The tri-weekly flight will immensely benefit people of Odisha and will give a huge boost to tourism and trade,” he tweeted.
In August last year, Naveen had requested the then Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to introduce a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat. Stating that Odia people living in Surat face difficulties in hours of necessity, he had requested to impress upon Air India and other private airlines to introduce direct flights between Bhubaneswar and Surat at the earliest.