Bhubaneswar: In a significant push to enhance air travel accessibility across the state, the Odisha government has approved 10 new direct flight routes, with a strong emphasis on linking the capital’s Biju Patnaik International Airport and Jharsuguda’s Veer Surendra Sai Airport to key religious, business, and regional destinations.
The decision was taken during a high-level committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Tuesday.
Officials indicated that regional carrier Star Air is likely to operate these routes using smaller aircraft, making services viable for Tier-2 and Tier-3 connections. The proposed routes include flights from Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda to Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Bhopal, Shirdi, Tirupati, Surat, Puri, Kolkata and Ujjain.
This move comes amid recent challenges, including the suspension of several existing routes from Bhubaneswar, as the state seeks to restore and expand passenger traffic while promoting tourism and economic ties.
In tandem with the new routes, the meeting reviewed plans to upgrade several airstrips at Satibhata, Jamadarpalli, Raisuan, Amarda Road, and Gotma. These developments fall under the ambitious B-MAAN (Building and Management of Aviation Assets and Network) scheme, which the state cabinet approved recently with a substantial outlay of Rs 4,182 crore for the 2025-30 period. Over Rs 500 crore has already been earmarked for airstrip development under this umbrella initiative, which aims to modernise infrastructure, improve regional connectivity, foster MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facilities, promote cargo logistics, and develop skills in aviation.
Heliports are also being developed in underserved districts like Nabarangpur, Phulbani, and Taratarini to extend air access to remote areas.
Broader efforts include expanding airports in Jeypore and Tusura, completing the land transfer process for Jharsuguda and Rourkela airports by May 2026 and operationalising facilities like Malkangiri airport. It further stressed developing the Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre at Birasal in Dhenkanal district.
A key highlight of the meeting was the commitment to expedite the long-awaited Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri through discussions with the Centre. The greenfield project has recently secured Stage-I forest clearance, allowing diversion of about 27.89 hectares of forest land as part of its development on a 471-hectare site, though final approvals are still pending before construction can commence. This facility is expected to significantly boost pilgrimage tourism to the holy town.
Additionally, the panel decided to review and update the Odisha Civil Aviation Policy 2022 with a second version, subject to cabinet approval.
Officials were directed to prepare a proposal for reducing VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to make operations more attractive for airlines. These steps align with the state’s vision of positioning Odisha as an eastern India aviation hub under the broader “Viksit Odisha” goals, aiming for enhanced connectivity, employment, and economic growth.
