BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday called upon airline operators to improve international air connectivity from Odisha. During a high-level meeting here on ‘Enhancing Air Connectivity for Odisha’, Naveen said “Odisha has witnessed rapid growth over the years and strengthened its foothold in several areas, including mining, manufacturing, tourism, culture, sports, education and Information Technology. In the last few years, aviation traffic in the State has seen immense growth. The domestic flight connectivity has seen a noticeable improvement, however, there is greater scope for international connectivity too.”
The Chief Minister cited the growth story of Odisha, presence of techno-savvy diaspora in different countries, the emergence of a globe-trotting middle class, growth of tourism and rapid growth in various sectoral economies, to justify his demand. “A sizeable techno-savvy Odia Diaspora is active in USA, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asian countries. Besides, a substantial population is also working in Middle-East countries. I strongly believe that our Skilled-in-Odisha module has strengthened brand Odisha, scaling up the demand for professionals from the State across the globe,” he said.
Introduction of more international flights from Bhubaneswar to destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Bangkok will provide convenience and comfort mostly to the people of Odisha, he added.
In addition to the successful hosting of international sports events, Odisha has propelled brand Odisha and enhanced the aspirations of our people for more and more connectivity with the rest of the world, the Chief Minister said.
He thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation for increased connectivity to Odisha and said “I further request the Ministry to introduce new flights from Odisha to domestic destinations like Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Vizag, Kochi and Ranchi. Similar is the demand for potential international hubs. I assure that the State Government will provide all necessary support,” he said.