Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to the aviation sector in the State, flight operations to five new destinations from Biju Patnaik International Airport here would start from New Year, Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan.
The flight operation from Bhubaneswar to cities of Indore, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Kochi will start from January 1, 2025, said Shri Pradhan, Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).
IndiGo will introduce flights to Indore four days a week and to Dehradun three days a week from January 1, 2025. The scheduled departure time for these flights from Bhubaneswar will be 3 PM.
Similarly, Air India Express will commence flights from Bhubaneswar to Lucknow and Jaipur three days a week along with daily flights to Cochin from January 3 next year, he said.
The airport authorities also planned to commence new flights to Bengaluru from January 4, the Director added.
Apart from convenience to flyers, the upcoming flight services from Bhubaneswar Airport will also go a long way in contributing to the Temple city’s growing importance as a regional transportation hub. Pradhan informed that the groundwork for the flight services have already been set in motion.
The State Government in October this year formulated a new policy designed to significantly enhance air connectivity across the State.
The Air Connectivity Policy, which offers substantial financial incentives to airlines, encourages the launch of new domestic and international air routes from different airports of Odisha.
Under the new policy, the Government has announced to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to airlines for launching new scheduled services received from the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Veer Surendra Sai Airport at Jharsuguda, and smaller airports in Jeypore, Rourkela, and Utkela.
The State has decided to provide Rs 5 lakh per round trip for domestic routes and Rs 10 lakh for international routes, with potential increases for routes exceeding 750 km. This support would mitigate financial risk and make new routes more attractive, sources said.
The policy aligns with the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 and the UDAN scheme. It also prioritizes connecting currently underserved regions, ensuring fairer access to air travel across Odisha.