Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Thursday inaugurated direct flight services to Abu Dhabi from the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
An IndiGo flight with 180 passengers on board started its journey to the capital of the United Arab Emirates from Bhubaneswar, Majhi said.
Besides, 50 tonnes of mangoes produced in Odisha have also been sent to Abu Dhabi, he said.
The inauguration took place on a day when the BJP government in the state was celebrating its first anniversary.
The flight services were launched under Odisha’s Building Management of Aviation Assets and Network (B-MAAN) initiative.
The airline will operate flights on the Abu Dhabi-Bhubaneswar route Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday every week, an official said.
Speaking to media persons at the airport, Majhi said, “Today is a proud day for the state as the aspiration of the people of Odisha to have direct flight services to Abu Dhabi has been fulfilled.”
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and support from the central government, the flight services to the capital of the United Arab Emirates have been launched as part of the state’s new destination policy, he said.
The CM said the flight services will create an opportunity for Odisha to connect with West Asian countries directly.
It will help boost tourism, trade, investment and cultural exchange, he said.
The flight services to Visakhapatnam were also restarted from Bhubaneswar Thursday.
“Apart from infrastructure development, our government is taking steps for industrialisation and strengthening road, air and rail connectivity to enhance the state’s GDP, the chief minister said.
To strengthen air connectivity, the BJP government has launched flight services to Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Goa, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow, and Port Blair from Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Raipur from Jharsuguda, he pointed out.
With the launch of flight services to major domestic and international destinations, Bhubaneswar is going to be a hub for the aviation sector in the coming days, Majhi added.
PTI
