Bhubaneswar, October 31: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday flagged off direct flight services between Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar and Jeypore Airport in Koraput district. This is the first scheduled flight to the KBK region. Jeypore airport is completely owned by the State Government.
The commencement of flight operations under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme will give a boost to connectivity, commerce and tourism, fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the region.
Jeypore earlier this month became the first State owned airport to get a license. With Odisha Government support, Ahmedabad-based airline operator- IndiaOne Air commenced flight operations to Jeypore. The daily flight between the State Capital and Jeypore town will cut down the travel time to 1.5 hour.
The airline said that it will offer a special introductory fare of Rs 999 till November 9. Within a few hours of the announcement, almost all the seats on the flight were sold.
On October 20, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted Jeypore airport the licence to carry out commercial flight operations under the UDAN scheme.
