International airlines show interest in flight operations from Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik international airport could be handling international flight operations in the near future with about 20 foreign carriers expressing their interest in starting operations here.

“About 20 international flight operators have shown interest to commence operations from the Bhubaneswar airport. We had a discussion with them regarding scheduled and chartered flights from here,” airport director Sarad Kumar said here on Saturday.

Kumar said they would come for a commercial feasibility study soon.

Sources said Fly Emirates, Bangkok Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Kenya Airways and Mega Maldives Airlines are among the 20 airlines which have shown interest.

Presently, Air India is operating an international flight via New Delhi to and from the state’s lone international airport.

Kumar, however, said that he has not received any confirmation from any flight operator as of now.

IANS