Air connectivity will give wings to the state's dreams and aspirations.

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Air connectivity will give wings to the state's dreams and aspirations.

   Since flight operations started from Veer Surendra Sai(VSS) Airport at Jharsuguda in April 2019,on an average two lakh passengers flew from this small airport situated at the industrial hub of Odisha per year.And the passengers included both frequent fliers and first-timers.Getting on the country's aviation map,the airport has not only facilitated trade and commerce,but also gave a boost to healthcare and education in the western part of the state.

     Suresh Tulshyan,a businessman from Jharsuguda,said,"Since the airport at Jharsuguda became operational,my life has changed in many ways.Going to places was a bother earlier as we used to take the tedious inroute up to Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata or Raipur to catch a flight to bigger cities.After the flight operation started in Jharsuguda it saved a lot of time,money and energy.Not only people of western Odisha,but fliers from Raigarh and Kharsia region also depend on this airport." From a flier's point of view, Tulshyan said there should be more destination routes connecting to and from Jharsuguda.

     Operationalization of Jharsuguda airport has changed lives and lifestyles of innumerable people in the industrial belt of the state and beyond, including neighboring Chhattisgarh.It has made life a lot easier for the people of not only Jharsuguda district,but also entire western Odisha.VSS Airport is currently connected to the cities of Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar with daily flights.This was the second airport of the state after the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

       "Jharsuguda is one of the fastest growing airports under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) scheme.The number of passengers has been on a rise post Covid and all the flights have 95% occupancy rate.We are also exploring possibilities of connecting more destinations like Bangalore and Mumbai,," said Pawan Kumar Zutsi, director of VSS Airport.

     The airport has also been chosen under Krishi Udan scheme, which mainly focuses on transporting perishable food items from hilly areas,northeastern states and tribal areas.The scheme is aimed at assisting farmers in transporting agricultural produce so that it improves export and income.

      Aditya Nanda,a businessman and a frequent flier from Jeypore, said the newly operational airport at the tribal hinterland and a popular tourist destination of the state,has opened the world of opportunities for the expansion of the region.Apart from business,the frequency of visits of officers and ministers to the "less developed" region of the state is leading to acceleration of a series of developmental projects.Jeypore is the state owned airport to start commercial flight operation under UDAN.

      "Jeypore is known for its tourism potential,rich culture of ethnic and tribal groups.Earlier, people were average to visit the Moist-affected region which has nature's bounty with several hills, waterfalls and valleys.The airport will also help transport indigenous products of the area like coffee, spices,handloom and crafts," said Nanda.

       Jeypore's Congress MLA Tata Bahinlpati said movement of people by air to and from this city is definitely benefiting the local economy."Once the frequency of flights,size and more destinations are added to Jeypore airport,we will see a lot more people traveling by air.Trade and tourism will increase exponentially and the economy of this undeveloped tribal region will flourish,"Bahinlpati said.

         Apart from Jharsuguda and Jeypore, Rourkela is another key location to join the country's aviation map when it hosts the hockey World Cup in January 2023.

     On March 5,Rangeilunda near Berhampur started unscheduled flight services to Bhubaneswar,adding another destination to the aviation map.

        Several other locations that are in the pipeline to join the flight path include Utkela in Kalahandi district Amarda Road in Mayurbhanj district and Malkangiri.Besides, the state government proposed Sri Jagannath International Airport in Puri is waiting for in-principle approval.With increased air connectivity in the state.Bhubaneswar is fast emerging as the regional hub of eastern India.

       Prasanna Pradhan, director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, said "Bhubaneswar is the second largest airport in terms of passenger movement and has recorded a 50% rise in 2022 as against 2021.The state capital is connected to 22 destinations across the country.It is a regional hub because it has been connected to three airports in the state and several smaller ones like Jamshedpur and Raipur."Besides, International flights from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore are going to start in a couple of months,an official source said.

        Odisha's commerce and transport secretary Usha Padhee said the plan is to connect Odisha by multi-modal transport.There are 26 airports in Odisha of which two belong to the Airports Authority of India,21 to the state government and one airport each belongs to IAF, ARC and SAIL.