Bhubaneswar: The long standing demand of the people of Odisha for direct flight services to Surat which is home to lakhs of Odias, has finally been approved and is going to be fulfilled on New Year 2020.
Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi today took to Twitter to inform that the Civil Aviation Ministry has granted permission for commencement of a direct Air India flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat from January 1, 2020. Air travellers can avail the flight services three days in a week.
“Today, I'm delighted that my request to Civil Aviation Ministry to commence a direct AI flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat is granted.Will start from 1st January, 2020 ( three days a week). Our Odia friends in Surat were wanting this. Grateful to @narendramodi @HardeepSPuri,” tweeted Sarangi.
Earlier in July this year, Aparajita Sarangi along with Surat MP had met the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri requesting him for a direct flight.
It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of Odias have settled and are engaged in various spheres of trade and commerce industries in Surat. And due to absence of any direct air connectivity, air commuters especially the Odias had been desperately awaiting kick-start of flight services between Bhubaneswar and Surat.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had also urged the Centre for introduction of direct flights in the past.