After flight services resumed from the Veer Surendra Sai Airport here to various parts of the country, the importance of the airport has increased to a great extent.
Health and Family Welfare Minister and local MLA Naba Kishore Das on Wednesday has written to the Chief Secretary for entertainment of the additional 19 firemen in the Jharsuguda airport on priority basis. The residents of western Odisha including Jharsuguda district have been demanding flight service to Bangaluru and Mumbai since long. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Ministry has approved to initiate direct flights to Bengaluru in the first phase.
Further, Spice Jet is also willing to start Air Bus A-320 in place of Delhi-Jharsuguda-Delhi flight ATR-72 for which time slab and other arrangements are almost completed.
The State Government also has provided infrastructure facilities free of cost alongwith recruitment of police, firemen and other security staff.
But, all it depends upon recruitment of the required firemen for starting of flights to Bengaluru and Mumbai metro cities. Meanwhile, the representatives of Chamber of Commerce, industrial houses and other persons met Health Minister Das during his recent tour to Jharsuguda and requested to take necessary steps for initiation of flight service to these cities. Sources said that 42 firemen are required for initiating Boeing flights through Jharsuguda Airport.
With the existing 23 firemen, another additional 19 firemen will be necessary , the airports authority informed. Without required of additional firemen, there will be difficulties in granting DGCA permission for landing and taking off of Air Bus A-320 in Jharsuguda Airport.
At present, Jharsuguda Airport has been included in Category-6 due to want of required firemen.