Odisha demands direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat

Odisha government today urged the Centre to introduce a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat in Gujarat as lakhs of Odia families stay in the western state.

"I would, therefore, like to request you to impress upon Air India and other private airlines to introduce direct flights between Bhubaneswar and Surat at the earliest," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Minister Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu.

Stating that lakhs of Odia families have settled in Surat and are engaged in the textile sector there, Patnaik said presently there is no direct air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Surat.

It takes a lot of time to travel by air between these two cities, Patnaik said adding that during hours of urgent necessity, Odia people living in Surat face untold difficulties in reaching Odisha in time.

Besides, people from both the cities visit places of tourist interest in and around these cities every year. The air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Surat can give rise to tourist inflow to both the places, the chief minister said in the letter.