BHUBANESWAR: Direct flight services between Bhubaneswar and Jaipur are likely to commence soon, officials said after a meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) held here on Wednesday.
The meeting, chaired by AAC chairperson and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, also discussed introducing direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Surat, Shirdi, Tirupati and Bhopal.
Members of the committee further decided to make the third terminal of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) operational at the earliest.
BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan informed the committee about aircraft movement, passenger traffic growth, cargo handling and various initiatives undertaken to improve Airport Service Quality (ASQ) ratings. He also briefed members on ongoing and upcoming airport infrastructure projects and measures aimed at enhancing passenger experience.
During the meeting, committee members and stakeholders suggested conducting regular airport familiarisation programmes for school students, especially those from rural areas.
They also proposed increasing the number of aero-bridges at BPIA and organising awareness and orientation workshops for aspiring air hostesses and aviation professionals.
The committee also deliberated on safety concerns around the airport caused by obstacles such as coconut trees, WATCO water tanks and mobile towers installed on private buildings. Members stressed the need for better coordination among the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) to address these issues.
Sarangi highlighted the need for establishing a bookstore inside the airport terminal and said steps would be taken to implement the proposal at the earliest. She also suggested that AAC meetings should be held every six months. Representatives of various airlines, police, CISF, BMC, Tourism department and other stakeholders attended the meeting.