Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought intervention of Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri for launching a direct flight between Odisha capital Bhubaneswar and Dubai.
Pradhan has written a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister in this regard.
“Keeping in mind the welfare of commuters to and from Bhubaneswar-Dubai and larger potential for development of Odisha. I request your personal intervention in launching a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai at the earliest,” wrote Pradhan to the Civil Aviation Minister.
Pradhan said there has been a long-pending request from various quarters for introducing a direct flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai.
The Minister said more than 15,000 Odias are residing in different parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who are forced to undertake an indirect route for travelling to Odisha.
At present, Bhubaneswar is connected internationally via direct flight to only one destination – Bangkok, Thailand.
Recently, Odia Society of UAE had a meeting with General Manager, Air India, Middle-East and Africa regarding viability of a direct Air India flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai based on favourable traffic data between these destinations, the Minister pointed out.
Bhubaneswar is an educational, healthcare and tourist hub with rich potential for medical tourism, cultural tourism and educational exchange programme, he added.
