Bhubaneswar, May 15 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday flagged off the maiden flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai here at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.
Highlighting the benefits of aligning Odisha with a global travel junction such as Dubai, he said that global connectivity is a key driver of overall developments, "be it industrial development, facilitating investments, promoting tourism or establishing communication for the Odia diaspora residing outside India".
Dubai is a major travel and tourism junction in the Middle East providing a gateway to the European and the US markets. This day will mark as a new chapter scripted in Odisha's stride towards global connectivity, he said.
To mark the occasion, delegates from Odisha including leaders and members of Mission Shakti, delegations from the World Skill Centre, Special Development Council, Panchayati Raj, and celebrated sportspersons, who were felicitated by the Chief Minister at Naveen Niwas earlier in the day, boarded the flight with the rest of the travellers who had booked their tickets.
A total of 170 people including the aircraft crew travelled on this maiden flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai.
Special arrangements were made to see off the travellers from Odisha. The flyers were felicitated with Uttariya, an Odisha Tourism kit bag and offered sweets and flowers by the hostesses at the departure terminal.
Meanwhile, the travellers who arrived via the first direct flight from Dubai to Bhubaneswar were given a warm welcome in presence of Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra and Commerce & Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu.
The Chief Minister made a commitment back in June 2022 during the Odisha Investors' Meet held in Dubai to establish international flight connectivity between Odisha and Dubai in the first phase.
These flights, being operated by Indigo Airlines, will run thrice a week. Besides, the state government has also worked towards establishing direct flight connectivity with the Southeast Asian markets through Singapore and Bangkok, with the commencement of these flights scheduled from early June 2023.
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