Odisha pitches for international flight service by Air India

Seeks nod for flydubai to start international operation from Biju Patnaik Airport

With international flight operations from the Biju Patnaik airport still a non-starter even after the airport getting the international tag, the state government has pitched for starting an international flight by state carrier Air India.

The state government has also sought permission for Dubai-based low cost carrier flydubai to start international flight service from Bhubaneswar.

“I would appreciate if provisional permission to flydubai to start international flight operation from Bhubaneswar can be granted, pending finalisation of bilateral air services agreement. Alternatively, Air India may be advised to start an international flight from Bhubaneswar as quickly as possible,” Odisha’s chief secretary G C Pati said in a letter to V Somasundaran, secretary, ministry of civil aviation. Earlier, in July, the state government had urged the ministry to reconsider inclusion of Bhubaneswar as a point of call in the bilateral air services agreement with UAE and grant permission to flydubai to start operations from Bhubaneswar.

The Dubai-based airline proposed to operate a daily flight of Boeing 737-800 with 174 seats- 12 business class and 162 economy class seats. The carried pointed out that the flight service would go a long way in generating employment opportunities, contributing to the growth of industries such as tourism and infrastructure besides helping to enhance the GDP (gross domestic product) of the state considerably. To attract commercial airlines to operate from the Biju Patnaik airport and to run commercial flights to other places in the state, the state cabinet had approved slashing of the VAT (value added tax) rate on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and aviation gasoline to five per cent.

Despite this incentive, no international flight has taken off from the city airport yet. The airport which got the international tag in October, 2013, belongs to Airport Authority of India (AAI) and is suitable for operation of Code ‘D’ aircraft of type B-767-400.