Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s tribal-dominated Kalahandi district was connected to India’s civil aviation network as flight services between Bhubaneswar and Utkela commenced Thursday.
A nine-seater IndiaOne Air aircraft left for Utkela from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here at around 10:30am Thursday.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the flight services virtually from Delhi while Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the flight from Bhubaneswar airport. Both also inaugurated the Utkela Airport in the presence of Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu and Public Enterprises, SSEPD and Science and Technology Minister Ashok Panda.
“Glad to flag off first flight between #Bhubaneswar and newly inaugurated Utkela Airport in #Kalahandi district. The airport has added yet another golden chapter to Odisha’s aviation sector. It will boost connectivity, commerce and tourism, fulfilling aspirations of people of the region,” Patnaik said in X, formerly Twitter.
Glad to flag off first flight between #Bhubaneswar and newly inaugurated Utkela Airport in #Kalahandi district. The airport has added yet another golden chapter to #Odisha's aviation sector. It will boost connectivity, commerce & tourism, fulfilling aspirations of people of the… pic.twitter.com/5TbWvei7qM
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 31, 2023
Taking to X, Scindia said: “Eastern India has always contributed to the economic and social development of the country with its rich culture, art and civilization, and today when India is moving forward in its amritkal, the development of this region is our priority.
पूर्वी भारत ने सदैव अपनी समृद्ध संस्कृति, कला और सभ्यता से देश के आर्थिक और सामाजिक विकास में योगदान दिया है, और आज जब भारत अपने अमृतकाल में आगे बढ़ रहा है तो इस क्षेत्र का विकास हमारी प्राथमिकता है।
इसी संकल्प के साथ आज, न केवल उत्केला (कालाहांडी) में नए हवाईअड्डे का बल्कि… pic.twitter.com/eSTMjpTiM4
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) August 31, 2023
“With this determination today, not only the new airport at Utkela (Kalahandi) but also the new air service between Utkela and Bhubaneshwar under #RCS_UDAN scheme was inaugurated by Shri @Naveen_Odisha ji and Shri @Gen_VKSingh ji. I am sure that this will not only give new wings to the civil aviation sector of Odisha but will also give new impetus to employment, entrepreneurship and inclusive development,” he added.
Minister of Commerce & Transport Department Tukuni Sahu became the first passenger to fly to Utkela.
“The dream of many people has finally been fulfilled. So, I thank Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his vision. There are a few things which need to be sorted, so the flight will only fly two days a week. Steps are being taken to ensure that the flight services commence every day of the week,” Tukuni Sahu said.
Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda, Bhawanipatna MLA Pradipta Kumar Naik and other officials welcomed the flight with their presence at Utkela Airport.
The introductory one-way fare was fixed at Rs 999 per passenger. The ticket price comes to around Rs 1049, they said, adding that all tickets between Utkela and Bhubaneswar are sold out for the month of September.
Notably, Utkela Airport is covered under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN.
With this, Utkela became be the fifth airport in Odisha after BPIA, Jharsuguda, Jeypore and Rourkela to begin flight operations.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had granted the required license to Utkela Airport to operate flights August 7.
The state government has spent around Rs 162 crore for acquisition of land, construction of runway and terminal building for Utkela Airport.
The airstrip at Utkela, just 20 km from district headquarters in Bhawanipatna, was built in 1962.
As per the website of the airline, the flight service between Bhubaneswar and Utkela will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Flight Timings:
Bhubaneswar to Utkela– 7:15am (Departure time), 8:25am (Arrival time).
Utkela to Bhubaneswar– 8:50am (Departure time), 10am (Arrival time)
PNN & Agencies
