Jharsuguda: The maiden flight took off from the newly-built airport here on Saturday with 10 passengers, including four divyang children and three crew members (a pilot, an assistant pilot and a flight attendant).
The Air Odisha plane flew to Raipur minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport named after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai. The divyang passengers will stay in Raipur for a couple of days.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier wrote to the Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, requesting him to name the Jharsuguda airport after the freedom fighter, who hails from the region.
Veer Surendra Sai Airport is the second operational airport in Odisha after Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. It is also the 32nd UDAN airport in the country to be made operational.
According to the sources, the 40-minute flight took off from the airport at 1.30 pm and will depart for Bhubaneswar from Raipur the same day.
After inaugurating the airport, the Prime Minister said, “After programmes in Talcher I am glad to be in Jharsuguda to inaugurate an airport and other development projects. These development works will greatly benefit the people of Odisha. India’s aviation sector is being transformed rapidly. This augurs well for the 125 crore Indians.”
He said the airport in Jharsuguda was well located to serve the needs of the people of Odisha.
However, he was quick to take a jibe at the state government over the delay in Odisha getting it’s second airport. “Though happy over opening of the airport, we need to ponder as to why it took so many years for a second airport in Odisha,” he said.
The Jharsuguda airport, the first airport made operational in western Odisha, has been developed at a cost of Rs 210 crore. It will provide connectivity between Bhubaneswar, Raipur and Ranchi and other parts of the country also.
The Prime Minister also dedicated the Garjanbahal coal mines and the Jharsuguda-Barapali-Sardega rail link to the nation, during the visit.
He also said these projects in Odisha will benefit the energy sector and enhance connectivity.
The Chief Minister said that the state government had earlier requested Modi to name Jharsuguda airport after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai whose contribution is immeasurable.
“The state government had sanctioned 120 acre land for the airport free of cost and Rs 75 crore from the state fund,” he said.
He also urged the central government to develop Jharsuguda airport into a full-fledged commercial airport.
Prabhu said that there has been tremendous development in terms of air connectivity in India in the past 50 months.
Notably, the flight services from Jharsuguda will be operational six days in a week except Sunday. The regular schedule for flight operation will commence from September 24.
