BHUBANESWAR: Kalahandi district found itself on the aviation map after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday flagged off the first scheduled flight to Utkela from Biju Patnaik International Airport here. Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M Scindia along with Minister of State for Civil Aviation Vijay Kumar Singh inaugurated Utkela airport and the direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneswar virtually from New Delhi.
IndiaOne will operate flights on the route. The operator will use a nine-seater Cessna C-208 aircraft sanctioned under UDAN scheme. The chief minister said an airport at Utkela to connect the capital city was an aspiration of the local community to accelerate economic activity in the region. Kalahandi is considered a commercial hub of Western Odisha which has seen rapid growth in its population and industry and flights on the route will boost industry and tourism sectors.
“It was a long-pending demand for flight operations at Utkela and now, the air connectivity will fulfil the dreams in every respect,” he added. Scindia said the flight will reduce travel time between Bhubaneswar and Utkela. The travel time by road was nearly eight hours and distance will now be covered in one hour and twenty minutes.
This will be a new beginning for Kalahandi region as economic activities will get a boost and generate a range of employment opportunities. The civil aviation minister said the Centre is working in close cooperation with the Odisha government to develop the civil aviation infrastructure in the state. Singh said the Centre has spent around Rs 31 crore for the re-development of Utkela airport.
Passenger Nila Saraf, who booked the first flight ticket, was felicitated at a meeting held in Utkela. Among others, MP Basanta Panda, Rajya Sabha Member Sujeet Kumar, zilla parishad president Puspendra Singhdeo, MLAs Pradipta Naik and Bhupinder Singh and Kalahandi collector Anvesha Reddy were present.