Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently inaugurated the first flight service between Bhubaneswar and Utkela in Kalahandi district. Scindia joined the event through video conferencing, while Naveen was present at Biju Patnaik International Airport. Utkela Airport, which started operating on August 31, is now the fifth airport in Odisha after Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, and Rourkela.
According to official sources, IndiaOne airline will offer 2X weekly flights between Utkela and Bhubaneswar on Tuesday and Thursday. The flight will depart from BPIA in Bhubaneswar at 7.15 am and arrive in Utkela at 8.25 am. It will then leave Utkela airport at 8.50 am and land back in Bhubaneswar at 10 am. On Thursday, a 9-seater IndiaOne Air aircraft departed from BPIA at around 10.30 am for Utkela.