Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to inaugurate the under-construction Malkangiri airport in the southern-most district of the state in January 2024, Special Secretary to the CM Vineel Krishna announced on X on Tuesday.
“A dream come true. This board fills my heart with great joy. The farthest district is being connected by scheduled flights soon. Hon’ble CM will be landing at the Malkangiri airport and inaugurating (it) in early January. What a sight that would be …” Krishna wrote on X.
The Malkangiri airport is being constructed on 94.5-hectare land at an estimated cost of Rs 33.03 crore.
While the construction work was scheduled to be completed by December 2023, the state government put the project on the fast track. The government claimed that the airport would speed up commercial activities and economic development in the region.
The state government will provide subsidies to the airlines operating from Malkangiri airport to make air tickets affordable for the passengers. Initially, flight services will be made available between Malkangiri and Bhubaneswar and later extended to Visakhapatnam.
