Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Saturday inaugurated direct flight services to Jharsuguda from Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
He handed over boarding passes to the first passengers at the airport.
This 76-seater Star Air flight has commenced operations under the Odisha New Destination Policy with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support and will cover the distance from Bhubaneswar to Jharsuguda in just 45 minutes. The flights will operate every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with daily services from August 24, a CMO release said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that this historic step will not only bring western Odisha closer to the state capital but also accelerate industrial growth, tourism, and cultural exchange.
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Majhi further noted that Bhubaneswar is now connected with four international destinations – Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi – through flight services. Within Odisha, flights are already operating from Bhubaneswar to Jeypore, Rourkela, and Utkela. “Today, Jharsuguda has been connected to Bhubaneswar by air. Efforts are ongoing to introduce more domestic and international flights in the coming days. Plans are also in place to develop Maintenance, Repair, and Operation (MRO) facilities at Bhubaneswar airport. All necessary steps are being taken to establish world-class aviation infrastructure with the aim to make Odisha a leading state in this sector in the coming years,” he added.
Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, Fisheries and Animal Resources Minister Gokulananda Mallik, Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Satyabadi MLA Om Prakash Mishra, Brahmagiri MLA Upasana Mahapatra, Cuttack Sadar MLA Prakash Sethi, Badachana MLA Amar Nayak, Niali MLA Chhabi Mallik, Principal Secretary of the Commerce and Transport DepartmentUsha Padhi, and the Director of Bhubaneswar Airport, among others, were present.
Bhubaneswar-Jharsuguda flight schedule
The airline will operate flights between Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda four times in a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
The flight S5 605 will take off from Jharsuguda at 7.20 pm and arrive in Bhubaneswar at 8.05 pm. The return flight, S5 606, will depart from Bhubaneswar at 8.30 pm and reach Jharsuguda at 9.15 pm on the same day.
Additionally, a mid-day service will run on Wednesdays, with S5 605 departing Jharsuguda at 11.20 am and reaching Bhubaneswar at 12.05 pm. The return flight will take off from Bhubaneswar at 12.30 pm and reach Jharsuguda at 1.15 pm.
While the service was launched at Rs 2,300, fares are as low as Rs 1,556 on most days in September. It will be available till October 26.
