BHUBANESWAR: The countrywide surge in coronavirus notwithstanding, people are shedding their fear and beginning to take the flights in greater numbers. Flight operations in the State are witnessing a steady rise after the easing of restrictions and moving closer to the pre-pandemic period, the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) sources said.
Domestic flights had been grounded across the country from March 25 and the services were resumed after a two-month-long gap. At least eight to 10 domestic flights started operating at BPIA from May 25.
BPIA sources said after August 15, the domestic operations picked up pace and about 16 flights started operating from the airport. “On Wednesday, 20 flights arrived while 22 departed,” they said.
A senior airport official said, the number of outgoing passengers are more than the arrivals. “In the last 15 days, on an average about 2,400 to 3,000 passengers have departed from BPIA while 1,500 to 1,700 passengers have arrived,” he said.
Sources said on Tuesday 18 flights with 2,450 passengers departed from BPIA and 1,700 passengers arrived here in 19 flights. Before the coronavirus pandemic, at least 47 flights were operating daily at BPIA. The airport was witnessing a footfall of 11,000 passengers on an average every day but now it has been reduced to about 4,000.
Airport director VV Rao said the number of flights are increasing continuously as the footfalls are rising. “From September 21 onwards, 26 flights will operate on an average every day,” Rao said.As of now, flights are operating daily to cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai among others. A twice-a-week flight to Surat has also started from September 9.
The airport director said that they are giving utmost priority to safety of passengers and staff. “The Central Warehousing Corporation has been given the responsibility to carry out sanitisation on the airport premises on a regular basis. All Covid-19 regulations and restrictions are strictly adhered to,” Rao said.
Meanwhile, sources said, several airlines have altogether applied for 60 slots for operating at BPIA from the upcoming winter schedule starting October 25.A senior BPIA official though said many airlines apply for the slots but do not utilize all of them.