Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will launch the advance ticket booking service for direct flights to Singapore and Bangkok from Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
Low-cost flight operator IndiGo will start this bi-weekly service on June 3. IndiGo is already operating direct flights between Bhubaneswar and Dubai.
Last year, the Odisha Cabinet approved the bid of IndiGo Airlines, which had evinced interest in operating direct flights to Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok following a request for quotation from the state government.
According to the bid proposal, a 186-seater flight will be operated from BPIA thrice a week including the weekends and the expenditure towards flight operation will be borne by the state government. In lieu, the revenue generated through ticketing will be retained by the state government.
The government has earmarked Rs 120 crore to help operate these flights and hopes to reach break-even within a year.
