BHUBANESWAR: The much-awaited direct flight service between Bhubaneswar and Pune commenced on Sunday. Commerce and Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera flagged off the maiden flight from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) and about 120 passengers boarded the flight from Bhubaneswar to Pune. Similarly, 83 passengers arrived in the State Capital from Pune. The facility will boost the tourism industry in Odisha and help in financial growth, the Minister said.
AirAsia will operate direct flights between the two cities for six days in a week except Saturday. The AirAsia flight will depart from Bhubaneswar at 1.50 pm and reach Pune at 3.55 pm. The flight will depart from Pune at 4.35 pm and reach the Capital city at 6.40 pm. “There was growing demand among the passengers to start a direct flight between the two cities,” said a senior official of BPIA. On an average, 30 flights are operating each day from BPIA with a footfall of about 8,000 passengers per day.