Centre urged to allow Fly Dubai to operate from city

With the Centre dilly-dallying on giving permission to Dubai-based low-cost carrier Fly Dubai to start flights from Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government has urged the Union ministry of civil aviation to facilitate the process.

“I would request to you to reconsider inclusion of Bhubaneswar as a point of call in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement and grant permission to Fly Dubai to start operations from Bhubaneswar,” Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra wrote to Civil Aviation secretary, Ashok Lavasa. The Chief Secretary’s letter follows the Centre’s denial that it had received any request from Fly Dubai to start operation from the city. The Union civil aviation ministry had also mentioned that the UAE government has not requested it to include Bhubaneswar as a point of call in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement.

However, the state government has forwarded to the Centre a letter of the flight operator seeking permission to start international flights from the city. The Gulf based airline proposed to operate a daily flight of Boeing 737-800 with 174 seats- 12 business class and 162 economy class seats. “On the contrary, the hub and spoke model advocated for Bhubaneswar will thwart business travelers, professionals and tourists as it raises the time and cost of travel,” Mohapatra said. It may be noted that the state government in a letter in February, 2014 had urged the Centre to consider the grant of bilateral rights for including Bhubaneswar as point of call for international flights.

To attract commercial airlines to operate from the Biju Patnaik Airport and to run commercial flights to other places in the state, the cabinet had approved slashing of the VAT rate on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and aviation gasoline (AVGAS) to five per cent. Despite this incentive, no international flight has taken off from the city airport yet. The airport which got the international tag in October, 2013, belongs to Airport Authority of India and is suitable for operation of Code ‘D’ aircraft of type B-767-400.