Entrepreneurs have urged the Indigo Airlines to operate more flights from Bhubaneswar to international destinations for promotion of trade, commerce and tourism. A two-member delegation comprising Indus Entrepreneurs, Bhubaneswar president Debashish Patnaik aand FMCG Company general manager and UAE NRO community member Priyadarshee Panigrahi met Indigo Airlines chief commercial officer Willy Boulter and Chief Planning Officer Michael Anthoy Swiatek in Delhi last week and requested them to start international operations from Bhubaneswar.
In response, the Chief Planning Officer said they were happy with the way their domestic operations have panned out from the Bhubaneswar airport and they were indeed looking at Bhubaneswar as an engine of growth for the airline. Briefing about current international operations from Bhubaneswar, which is to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Patnaik said, ‘Currently there is a huge need to link Dubai with Bhubaneswar. Dubai is an international gateway for transit passengers and has excellent connectivity to European and American destinations. In addition to this, many flights operate to the African continent also with a direct flight to Dubai, Bhubaneswar’s connectivity with the western world and Africa gets a huge boost. This will contribute substantially to trade and tourism of the State.”
He also highlighted the proactive support and interest of the State Government in promoting international air connectivity for the State. Explaining that the Odia community in the UAE is a sizeable one and probably the biggest non-resident Odia community in the region, Panigrahi said “NROs will benefit greatly from direct air connectivity, ensuring viability of the route.”The delegation also impressed upon the need for Indigo to start services from the Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda.
