Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Air India Express air services between Ayodhya and Kolkata and Bengaluru on Wednesday through a video conference from his official residence in Lucknow.

He said that Ayodhya was becoming a prominent city for tourists in India and globally.

“Ayodhya already has a large number of local devotees, but considering the excitement nationwide, efforts have been made to facilitate the arrival of pilgrims here. The work done by the Civil Aviation Ministry in this regard is commendable,” he remarked.

Chief Minister Yogi expressed gratitude to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and General VK Singh for their special focus on enhancing Uttar Pradesh’s connectivity, providing all possible support.

He said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, Uttar Pradesh has shown excellent results in this direction, not only welcoming new airports in the past nine years but also becoming a significant state in terms of air connectivity with four international airports.”

Chief Minister Yogi mentioned that on December 30, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Maharshi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya, marking a milestone. He expressed his pleasure for the commencement of air services between Ayodhya and Kolkata and Bengaluru after the starting of air connectivity between Ayodhya and Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Chief Minister Yogi further mentioned that Ayodhya not only symbolises India’s ancient faith but Lord Shri Ram is also an embodiment of the pursuit of human beings for dharma, artha, kama and moksha. There is eagerness and enthusiasm throughout the country for Lord Ram’s arrival in Ayodhya, he added.

The chief minister said, “Six years ago, 4-lane connectivity, doubling of the railway line, cruise services in the sacred Sarayu river, and an international airport (in Ayodhya) only existed in one’s imagination. Today, it is a reality that all these services are available in Ayodhya. Success in implementing these is due to the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the efficiency and decisiveness of the double-engine government, and the crucial role played by local representatives.”

Chief Minister Yogi mentioned that the Uttar Pradesh government has already allocated 821 acres of land to the Civil Aviation Ministry in Ayodhya. Currently, 500 pilgrims can utilise the ground facility simultaneously, and eight aircraft can land there. Parking facilities have also been provided. Keeping in mind the future possibilities outlined in the plan by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the state government will actively support the entire programme, he stated.

He expressed joy that with the commencement of air services between Bengaluru and Ayodhya, it would be easier to bring Hanuman ji’s message to Ayodhya from Karnataka.

The programme was attended by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of State General (Dr) VK Singh, Ayodhya’s minister in-charge Surya Pratap Shahi, Ayodhya’s MP Lallu Singh, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India Ankur Garg, UP’s Chief Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, and Additional Chief Secretary (Civil Aviation) SP Goyal, along with dignitaries from Air India Express and Ayodhya, through video conferencing.