Commercial flight services will commence from the Jeypore airstrip in Koraput district from the first week of June. The first flight, nine-seated plane, will fly from Jeypore to Bhubaneswar and Jeypore to Vishakhapatnam.
The Joint Secretary of the Ministry Of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee informed that the passengers will get concessions under the Central government's UDAN scheme. "I came to Koraput and planned a visit to Jeypore to take stock of the work progress of the airstrip. The infrastructural requirements for the airstrip by the State government have been concluded. The Odisha government has also applied for license approval. We hope, the license will be approved soon," said Padhee.
The former Koraput Collector said, "The airline companies have already brought their flights and they will be able to commence the services soon. I took the stock of the preparatory arrangements as a new airport will commence service. There is a procedure for all these to ensure safety and security. Though I can't mention any specific date, I am hopeful that the services will commence by the first week of June."
Meanwhile, the CEO of Indian One Air, Arun Kumar Singh said, "The first flight will fly directly from Bhubaneswar to Jeypore and Jeypore to Vishakhapatnam. After stabilisation of operations, we will commence services from Utkela."
"The rates will be like the AC 2nd-tier or will be lower than that. Initially, we will come up with some promotional schemes and the passengers can enjoy air travel within Rs 500-1000. However, the ticket rates depend on inflation, so I can't' quote the price right now. But, the price will be affordable for all," Singh added.