Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Thursday flagged the maiden direct flight service between Bhubaneswar and Abu Dhabi, the Capital of the United Arab Emirates, with 180 passengers onboard.
The flight service from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here to the UAE Capital will operate thrice a week — on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
With the launch of direct flight service to Abu Dhabi, Odisha now has four international flight routes from BPIA, after air connectivity with Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok.
The flight service will go a long way in marketing the agrarian produce from Odisha to Gulf countries. The mangoes and organic vegetables from Odisha are much in demand in these countries. Around 50 tonnes of mangoes were sent to the UAE on the flight, CM Majhi said.