JEYPORE: The private air service operator, Air Odisha, conducted a trial flight run between Bhubaneswar and Jeypore on Friday.
The 11-seater aircraft with two pilots and five officials of the service provider landed at Jeypore airstrip at 1 pm and returned to the Capital City at 3 pm. The travel time between the two places is around an hour.
Director of Air Odisha Trideeb Rout said, a single flight service on the route would be started in the next couple of days.
The flight will carry nine passengers in a light aircraft and later big aircraft would be introduced after taking passenger rush into consideration, Rout said.
The one-time tariff for passengers from Jeypore to Bhubaneswar would be nearly `4500, he said and the company would start the service only after getting security clearance and proper infrastructure facilities at the airstrip, he added.
Though Jeypore airstrip was opened in 1964, there were no regular flight services. Only the VVIPs of both State and Centre were using the airstrip on special occasions.
Once launched, the commercial plane service would also be beneficial for the people of Malkangiri and Rayagada districts.