Air Odisha introduces flights to industrial towns in state

Air Odisha Aviation Friday launched commercial flights between capital Bhubaneswar and important industrial hubs in the state on an experimental basis, a senior company official said.

The service was flagged off by state Tourism and Culture Minister Maheswar Mohanty at a simple function at the Biju Patnaik Airport of Bhubaneswar.

In the first phase, the Odisha-based private company has introduced flights to Rourkela and Jharsuguda. Subsequently, it will extend the service to other important towns in the state, the official told IANS.

The flying time of the nine-seater aircraft from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela via Jharsuguda will be about an hour and a half. Rourkela and Jharsuguda are located at the distance of about 514 and 374 km from the state capital respectively.

The state government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is keen on improving intra-state, inter-state and international air connectivity to meet the growth challenges in future.

It is planning to develop at least five greenfield airports, including at upcoming industrial centres like Paradip, Dhamra, Angul, Kalinganagar and Rayagada.

Moreover, it has proposed to upgrade existing airstrips at Gopalpur, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Barbil and Rourkela.