August 31, 2023: Minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia today inaugurated the Utkela Airport through video conferencing. The minister also launched direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneshwar. Developed under the Centre’s UDAN scheme, the Odisha-government owned airport has been developed at Rs 31.07 crore. With the addition of the Utkela Airport, Odisha will now have five airports.
In his inaugural address, Scindia said that the Utkela to Bhubaneswar air connectivity would reduce the time taken to travel by road which is nearly 8 hours. “Now with the Utkela-Bhubaneswar flight, the distance could be covered in one hour and twenty minutes. This will be a new beginning for the Kalahandi region as economic activities will come up and generate a range of employment opportunities,” Scindia said, adding that the Central government is working in close cooperation with the Odisha government for developing the civil aviation infrastructure in the state.
The airport has a runway of length 917 metre (2,995 foot), with a width of 30 mt. The newly inaugurated Utkela-Bhubaneshwar-Utkela flight route will enhance regional air connectivity and play an important role in the economic development of the region. IndiaOne will run the flights on this route from August 31 onwards. The operator will be utilising 9-seater Cessna C-208 aircraft sanctioned under the UDAN scheme.
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