Direct flight service from Bhubaneswar to Varanasi will begin from next month. Budget carrier IndiGo has received permission for the flight service from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The flight would leave Bhubaneswar at 9 pm and reach Varanasi at 11.55 pm everyday from February 29. The flight would depart Varanasi at 6.45 pm and arrive at Bhubaneswar at 8.40 pm. The 1-hour and 55-minute-long journey would cost a passenger Rs 3,470, said an official.
Notably, there had been a longstanding demand for direct air connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Varanasi to attract Buddhist pilgrims to Odisha. Now with introduction of the direct flight service, many Buddhist sites in the State are expected to witness an increase in the tourist inflow.
Earlier, the Air India had stopped its fight service on this route two years ago after providing the service for a couple of months.