Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 26: In a first for the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), a wide-bodied Boeing 737, a non-scheduled Air China flight from Beijing, landed in the city Thursday.
The aircraft, carrying 12 passengers and 11 crew members, landed at city airport around noon.
The flight carrying Chinese tourists to Buddhist sites made a technical stop at Bhubaneswar airport.
Till the time of filing the report, the aircraft was scheduled to take off at 11 pm Thursday for Zanzibar (Africa). The Chinese tourists used the opportunity to visit Konark and Dhauli.
Earlier, only small-sized non-scheduled chartered aircraft had operated from BPIA. A Canada-based chartered aircraft (type GLF-4) from Toronto, with two passengers and three crew members, had landed at the city airport December 4, 2014. Another aircraft had landed at the city airport after coming from Spain via Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur May 3, 2014, and had taken off for Osaka International Airport, Japan.
“A private firm facilitated the immigration and customs procedures of the Chinese delegation at domestic terminal T1 and after thorough examination of their documents, the tourists left for the historical sites,” a source said, adding that all procedures were closely monitored by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Airport director Sharad Kumar said efforts are being made to persuade several carriers to introduce global flights from Bhubaneswar to countries of South Asian and the Middle East.
However, no international airline other than Fly Dubai has evinced their interest in operating from Bhubaneswar despite the airport being granted an international tag by the Centre October 30, 2013. The ministry of civil aviation has refused Fly Dubai’s request of being allowed to introduce two weekly flights from Bhubaneswar to Dubai.