Finance
The much-awaited Bhubaneswar-Rourkela flight service began today, just in time for the Odisha Hockey World Cup.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Civil Aviation Minister, inaugurated the maiden flight to Rourkela via video conferencing.
The 72-seater Alliance Air aircraft was flagged off at 10.45 a.m. from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Ministers Tukuni Sahu and Ashok Chandra Panda, and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi.
“The flight service between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela was the dream project of late Biju Babu,” said Ashok Panda, Minister of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Public Enterprises, Science and Technology. The flight service between Ekamra Kshetra and Steel City is also important for tourism. This will be remembered as a watershed moment.”
In response to the BJP’s allegation about the launch of flight service to Rourkela, he stated, “India has a federal system of government. Odisha has the same stake in the flight service as the Centre.”
According to the schedule, the Alliance Air flight will arrive at Rourkela airport at 11.40 a.m. and depart at 12 p.m. It will land at Bhubaneswar International Airport at 1 pm.
The air trip between Bhubaneswar-Rourkela has been fixed at Rs 2,830, while it will cost 2,721 from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar, sources said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently granted a license to the Rourkela Airport under the UDAN scheme in anticipation of the upcoming Odisha Hockey World Cup event in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Several FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup-2023 matches will be played at Rourkela’s Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. The state government had urged the federal government to make the necessary arrangements for a flight service between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.
Source:SE
