Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to name Jharsuguda Airport after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.
In a letter to Prabhu, Naveen mentioned that there was a public demand for naming the airport after the freedom fighter, who hails from the same region. “Naming the airport in his name will be a fitting tribute to the legendary son of the soil,” he added.
On May 4, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had accorded aerodrome licence to the airport, the second in the state after Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
According to sources, flight services are expected to commence from June 14. Air Odisha will operate flights from Jharsuguda to Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Raipur thereby meeting the long-standing demands for air-connectivity to the western Odisha region.
The average price of a ticket to be paid by passengers for these flights would be around Rs 2,500.
Jharsuguda is one of the five airports in Odisha selected to provide regional flight connectivity under the Centre’s flagship Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme.
