Bhubaneswar: Praising the Flybrary at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday said that the initiative will be replicated in other airports across the country.
At Flybrary, travellers can pick up a book, read it at the airport, or even take it along and return it on their next visit.
According to sources, the Union Minister was happy to see Flybrary for the first time at the airport after landing here for the Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference. He interacted with Sujit Mahapatra, founder of Bakul Foundation, which has set up the library, after inaugurating the Udan Yatri Café and the Children’s Play Area this morning.
Mahapatra told the Union Minister that running the Flybrary was a challenge. “Though replenished by Bakul almost every day, most passengers still find the shelf empty as all books would have been already borrowed,” he said.
Naidu said the initiative would be a success if they could make it convenient for passengers to drop books. “If a person takes a book from one airport and can drop it at another airport, it would ensure a circulation of books. The beauty and simplicity of being able to take a book to read on the journey should be ensured,” he said, while asking his Ministry to replicate Flybrary in all airports of the country.
He also explained the concept to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol, Civil Aviation secretary Samir Sinha and Airports Authority of India chairman Vipin Kumar.
He suggested that the Flybrary should be even bigger and have more books and be classified according to different genres so that it can really help to develop reading habits among passengers.
Naidu also tweeted about it later: “Bhubaneswar airport is also the only one in the country with a unique Flybrary — a flying library where passengers can pick or donate a book, promoting the joy of reading on the go. We are in the process of expanding this initiative to other airports as well.”
The Union Minister had also appreciated the first-of-its-kind concept in India with a post on X in March this year. “Would like to share a wonderful initiative at Bhubaneswar Airport—FLYBRARY, a first-of-its-kind concept in India that makes books freely available to passengers. Travelers can pick up a book, read it at the airport, or even take it along and return it on their next visit. I am truly impressed by how this thoughtful initiative not only elevates the travel experience but also transforms waiting time into a delightful opportunity for both learning and leisure. Our airports today are more than just transit hubs. I appreciate this initiative taken by Bhubaneswar Airport and Bakul Foundation, which promotes ease of flying in the country,” he wrote.
