Commercial flight operations under the ‘UDAN’ scheme commenced from Rourkela Airport on 7th January 2023 amidst enthusiastic welcome extended by the Rourkelites. The first flight, an ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Airways, arrived at Rourkela from Bhubaneswar at about 12.00 Noon. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation & Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Gen.(Dr.) V.K. Singh (Retd.), Minister of State, Minister of Civil Aviation flagged off the flight in virtual mode. Thereafter, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha physically flagged off the flight at the Biju Patnaik International Stadium in the presence of many other dignitaries.
A programme was organised by SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant at Rourkela Airport on 7th morning in which the virtual programme was telecast live. Subrat Tarai, MLA, Raghunathpalli, Sharda Prasad Nayak, MLA, Rourkela, Sushree Kusum Tete, MLA, Sundargarh, Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, MLA, Talasar, Latika Patnaik, Representative of Jual Oram, MP, Sundargarh, Atanu Bhowmick, Director In-Charge, Rourkela Steel Plant, Mukesh Kumar Bhamu, SP, Rourkela, Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra, ADM, Rourkela and many other senior officers of RSP and Dist Administration, Members of Rourkela Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from various political and social organisations were present on the occasion to welcome the passengers of the first commercial flight.
It is worth mentioning here that, the Udaan Scheme conceived under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is a regional airport development programme of the Government of India and part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of upgrading under-serviced air routes. Its goal is to make air travel affordable and improve economic development in India. The Rourkela Airport was taken up under the Udaan scheme, keeping in view the long cherished need and dream of the people living in and around Rourkela. Accordingly the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt of India spent around Rs 60 crores towards development of the entire Airport including expansion and strengthening of the runway and addition of several other facilities. Steel Authority of India Limited provided additional 143 acres of land for the expansion and upgradation of the airport.