Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum & Natural Gas, Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri requesting latter to take necessary steps to introduce a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai in view of rising Odia population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
At present, Bhubaneswar is connected internationally via direct flight to only one destination i.e. Bangkok since it was granted International Airport status. There has been a long-pending request from various quarters for introducing a direct flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Pradhan mentioned in the letter.
He further said that more than 15,000 Odia people residing in different parts of the UAE who are forced to undertake an indirect route for travelling to Odisha.
Recently, Odia Society of UAE had a meeting with GM Air India Middle-east and Africa regarding viability of a direct Air India flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai, he added.
“Bhubaneswar is an educational healthcare, cultural and tourist hub with rich potential for medical tourism, cultural tourism and educational exchange programmes. Keeping mind the welfare of commuters to and from Bhubaneswar-Dubai and larger potential for development of Odisha, I request your personal intervention in launching a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Dubai at the earliest,” he said.