Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik’s iconic Dakota DC-3 VT-AUI aircraft has entered the Odisha border and will reach Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The aircraft, which is being transported by truck from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar, was flown by Biju in 1947 to rescue the then Prime Minister of Indonesia Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Sukarno.
The aircraft has been dismantled and is being transported to Bhubaneswar in three parts. A four-member team was assigned to disassemble the aircraft. The team will restore, reassemble and do the renovation work of the plane at the airport, the officials said.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) already allotted 1.1 acres of land to the state government for the iconic Dakota DC-3 VT-AUI aircraft for public viewing.
Several attempts were made in the past to move the aircraft to Odisha and a tender was also published but the authorities were forced to stall the endeavour owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
