TV
Bhubaneswar, the Temple city of Odisha, is all set to welcome new direct air connectivity to two more cities from March 30 this year. CM Mohan Majhi announced on Wednesday the plans to initiate direct flights to Ghaziabad (Hindon) and Port Blair, effective March 30, 2025.
The flights by Air India Express will operate all throughout the week. According to the schedule, the flights will leave Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) and fly to Ghaziabad (Hindon) and later fly back to Bhubaneswar daily.
Similarly, another flight will take off from BPIA and fly to Port Blair (IXZ) and return to Bhubaneswar on a daily basis.
Demand Grows for Sambalpur & Berhampur:
Making the major announcement, CMO Odisha shared, “Aviation Bonanza for Bhubaneswar! Sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as new flights to Ghaziabad (Hindon) & Port Blair to take off shortly under the New Destination Policy – boosting tourism, trade & seamless connectivity.”
“With Viksit Odisha in motion, Odisha takes a bold leap toward a more connected future, driving economic growth and enriching cultural exchanges!” it further read.
This move has been welcomed by people, especially the youths of Odisha, who thanked PM Modi and requested more connectivity and international-standard airports across Odisha, especially in Sambalpur and Berhampur.
“Very good initiative. Please, develop an international standard Air Port at Sambalpur to boost regional connectivity, tourism, Knowledge based eco friendly, sustainable economic, cultural, growth and development of this region,” shared a netizens.
Likewise, another netizen shared, “A full-fledged domestic airport is needed for Berhampur, Ganjam Odisha.”
5 Cities Connected on New Year:
On New Year 2025, Bhubaneswar airport started flight operations to five cities: Indore, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Kochi. While IndiGo flights to Indore fly four days a week and three days a week to Dehradun, Air India Express operates flights to Lucknow and Jaipur three days a week and to Kochi every day.
The airport authorities have also started new flights to Bengaluru from January 4.
Expansion of Bhubaneswar Airport:
While netizens are welcoming the expansion of flight connectivity, many have complained of the airport being too small compared to other airports in the country.
“Sir, everything is fine, but the airport is smaller than the bus stand, no amenities, not a chair to sit during rush hours… please develop a proper greenfield airport first. It’s a basic need for a capital city now,” a user shared.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has announced a significant expansion of the city airport with the addition of a new terminal building. This will accommodate the growing needs of both domestic and international air travelers in the forthcoming years.
