BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to expand air operations in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday inaugurated direct flight services from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar to Abu Dhabi.
The maiden flight with 180 passengers on board departed from BPIA earlier in the day. Addressing mediapersons, Majhi said it was a matter of pride for Odisha as citizens had long wanted flight services to Abu Dhabi.
"With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance and Centre's support, the state government launched the direct flight to Abu Dhabi under the new destination policy," he said.
IndiGo airlines will operate flights on the Abu Dhabi-Bhubaneswar route on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday every week. The inauguration took place on the day when the BJP government in the state is celebrating its first anniversary.
The flight services were launched under Odisha's Building Management of Aviation Assets and Network (B-MAAN) initiative. The Chief Minister said the new flight to Abu Dhabi will connect Odisha with the Middle-East countries. The flight service will enhance commerce, tourism, investments and cultural exchange, he added.
Besides this, Majhi informed that cargo services have also commenced to Abu Dhabi through the same airline. "Mangoes like Amrapali and other varieties produced in various parts of the state like Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Nuapada and Rayagada, as well as vegetables, will be exported to Abu Dhabi. About 50 tonne Amrapali mangoes were supplied on the day," he said.
Majhi also apprised that flight services between BPIA and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh resumed on Thursday.
To connect Odisha at domestic and international levels, the BJP government launched flight services from Bhubaneswar to Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Goa, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow and Port Blair, and operations commenced from Jharsuguda to Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Raipur, said the Chief Minister.
"Apart from infrastructure development, our government is taking steps for industrialisation and strengthening road, air and rail connectivity to enhance the state’s GDP," he added.