Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s return flight from New Delhi was diverted to Kolkata on Friday morning due to bad weather conditions in Bhubaneswar:
Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra informed that adverse weather prevented the Delhi-Bhubaneswar Air India flight in which the CM was travelling from landing at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here.
Majhi, who had been to Delhi on a four-day visit to attend the SEMICON India 2025 conclave and the two-day GST council meeting, was scheduled to land in Bhubaneswar at around 9.45 am.
BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan said the flight hovered over the airport for around 21 minutes amid heavy rain, before being diverted to Kolkata. “Flight AI473 from Delhi to Bhubaneswar on 5 September, while nearing its destination, was instructed by air traffic control to divert to Kolkata due to unfavourable weather conditions in Bhubaneswar,” an Air India Spokesperson said.
The Bhubaneshwar-bound aircraft was refuelled in Kolkata before continuing to Bhubaneswar, where the flight landed at 12.59 pm, the airline added.
In a statement, the Odisha government said the state-level Teachers’ Day function to be attended by Majhi has been postponed to 3 pm from 11.30 am.