West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday inaugurated a flight connecting the industrial city of Durgapur with New Delhi.
Boarding the Kolkata-Durgapur-New Delhi flight at the country's first private greenfield airport in Durgapur, she said the Air-India flight will formally begin operations thrice a week from December 22.
"The flight will operate three days a week and the will start operating from December 22. This service will not only help people in South Bengal districts of Bankura, Birbhum Purulia but also our neighbouring state Jharkhand.
"People will now won't have to come down to Kolkata, they can go directly to Delhi from here," Banerjee said at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (KNIA) at Andal in Durgapur.
Air India will operate a 122-seater aircraft on this route every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Banerjee is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday placing her government's demands for funds for various central schemes as well as Rs.21,000 crore of the flood relief fund.
The Trinamool Congress supremo has been vocal against the Modi government for slashing central funds.