Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday announced that the state government will soon launch a Cadet Pilot Program to provide pilot training opportunities to tribal girls, marking a historic step towards inclusivity in the aviation sector.
Majhi made the announcement at the Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference held in Bhubaneswar, where he described the initiative as part of the state’s flagship program B-MAAN (Building and Management of Aviation Assets and Network).
On the occasion, the state government signed an agreement with Air Works, one of the country’s leading providers of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services, for the establishment of a state-of-the-art MRO facility at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
Another agreement with the company will focus on creating training, skill development, and employment opportunities for Odisha’s youth.
Majhi also highlighted the government’s larger aviation roadmap, stating that a world-class international airport is being constructed in Puri to serve as a spiritual and cultural gateway for Jagannath devotees across the globe.
He said that land had already been arranged for the expansion of Jharsuguda Airport, while Odisha’s airports have been connected to 15 new destinations in the past 14 months.
A world-class aviation training center is also planned at Birasal in Dhenkanal district. In addition, 14 unused airstrips across the state will be developed into airports, and 15 heliports will be set up in districts that currently lack airport facilities, he added.
The Chief Minister underlined that aviation is not just about airports and services but about connecting aspirations with opportunities, strengthening the economy, and contributing to the vision of a developed India by 2047. “Odisha is not only building infrastructure, but also building opportunities and dreams,” he said.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, who also addressed the conference, assured the Centre’s full support for Odisha’s aviation expansion and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of enabling affordable air travel for all.
The event was also attended by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, and Chhattisgarh’s Finance Minister Om Prakash Choudhury.
The event began with a welcome address by Union Civil Aviation Secretary Sameer Sinha and concluded with a vote of thanks from Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department.
