Bhubaneswar: Following the operations of direct flight to Bangkok from Bhubaneswar, the demand for a direct flight to other international destination like Dubai has been increasing steadily.
Taking cognizance of the matter, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh for his personal intervention towards the launch of a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai.
In a letter to Puri, Pradhan said that Odisha is emerging as a growth-engine for Eastern India and hence there is a need to improve direct international connectivity to the State's Capital city which will further boost the region's development prospects.
"There are more than 15000 Odia people residing in different parts of the United Arab Emirates who are forced to undertake an indirect route for travelling to Odisha. I also understand the Odia Society of UAE had a meeting with GM Air India Middle-East and Africa regarding the viability of a direct Air India flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai based on favourable traffic data between these destinations," he said in the letter.
Bhubaneswar is an educational, healthcare. cultural and tourist hub with rich potential for medical tourism, cultural tourism and educational exchange programmes. Further, for the welfare of commuters to and from Bhubaneswar - Dubai and for the larger potential for the development of Odisha, a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai, at the earliest, is needed, added Pradhan.