Bhubaneswar: International flight operations from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in the city have been completely suspended since July this year. The number of domestic destinations has also declined, Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena has informed the Assembly.
According to the minister, overall flight connectivity from Bhubaneswar has declined from 33 destinations, both domestic and international, in 2025 to 19 this year.
Jena said this while replying to a question from BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo in the Assembly.
He said three international flights were operating from BPIA, but all of them were suspended in July. In previous years, the airport offered direct flight services to Dubai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Bangkok.
Why Operations Dipped?
Apart from low demand, the minister said factors such as airline profitability, operational issues and seasonal considerations had affected international services. “Efforts are being made to resume direct international flights from BPIA. IndiGo will resume direct flight operations between Bhubaneswar and Bangkok from October 1 this year,” he said.
According to the information furnished by the minister, there were no international destinations from Bhubaneswar in 2022. The number rose to three in 2023 and four each in 2024 and 2025. At present, the number stands at zero.
Similarly, the number of domestic destinations connected to the airport stood at 17 in 2022 and increased to 19 in 2023 and 20 in 2024. It peaked at 29 in 2025, before slipping to 19 in 2026.
Remedial Measures
Jena said the state government was attempting to reverse the declining trend by offering incentives to airlines, including support under the new destination policy (NDP) and viability gap funding (VGF).
Specific assistance is being extended to airlines under these schemes to encourage the resumption of suspended routes and the launch of new domestic and international links, he added.
Rise in Footfall
Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar airport has continued to witness a rise in passenger footfall over the last 12 years. BPIA handled 5.1 million passengers in 2025-26, compared to around 1.4 million in 2014-15.
The airport has also undertaken extensive infrastructure development, passenger facilitation measures, operational improvements and modernisation initiatives to cater to the growing passenger volume.
Major infrastructure upgrades include runway re-carpeting, installation of a CAT-II instrument landing system (ILS), construction of a new ATC tower-cum-technical block equipped with advanced communication, navigation and surveillance facilities, and implementation of the indigenous BEL ATC automation system.