Bhubaneswar-Surat Direct AI Flight From Jan 20

Bhubaneswar: The long-standing demand of the people of Odisha has been fulfilled will Air India flying its maiden and a direct flight from Bhubaneswar to Surat from January 20.

In a Twitter post on Monday, joint secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee has informed that the A321 AI flight will leave Biju Patnaik International Airport at 8.40 am and reach Surat International Airport at 10.40 am.

She thanked Air India authorities for commencing the much-awaited flight.

Odisha Bytes had earlier reported about the national carrier having started booking for its flight from Bhubaneswar to Surat, beginning January 20. The lowest fare quoted on its official website (airindia.in) is Rs 4503. In the return direction, the lowest fare for which tickets are on sale is Rs 4213.

The flight will operate between Bhubaneswar and Surat on Mondays and Thursdays and from Surat on Fridays and Sundays. It will leave Bhubaneswar at 8.40 am and from Surat at 8.30 am.

Notably, BJP leader Aprajita Sarangi in a meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on July 22 this year had requested him for a direct flight between Surat and Bhubaneswar for the benefit of the non-resident Odias.

The Union Minister had assured her to sincerely look into the matter.

The flight was earlier expected to start from January 1 and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had thanked Puri for giving the go-ahead for a direct Air India flight from Bhubaneswar to Surat in a tweet in October.