- BJD Slams BJP’s Inefficiency in Flight Termination
- Diaspora and Economy Hit Hard by Service Cut
- BJD Demands Urgent Intervention for Route Revival
Bhubaneswar, 21/01/2026: BJD Government has launched Dubai-Bhubaneswar direct flight service on 15 May 2023. The thrice-weekly service is crucial for over 40,000 Odia`s in the UAE. BJD urges government to intervene to safeguard tourism, trade, and connectivity.
In a press statement, Party Spokesperson and Media Coordinator Dr. Lenin Mohanty has directly attacked BJP Government’s decision to end direct flight service between Dubai and Bhubaneswar. Ending direct flight service is a sign of inefficiency of BJP Government. This decision will affect mobility and connectivity of over 40,000 Odia`s in the UAE. Odia diaspora is at risk and direct loss as IndiGo eyes ending Dubai-Bhubaneswar direct flight from March 2026.
Amid the ongoing operational turmoil faced by IndiGo Airlines, uncertainty has surfaced over the continuation of the direct international flight connecting Odisha with the United Arab Emirates. The direct IndiGo service between Dubai and Bhubaneswar is likely to be discontinued from 30March, 2026 triggering concern among flyers and the Odia diaspora in the Gulf.
Online bookings for the Dubai-Bhubaneswar route beyond March 30, 2026 are currently not being accepted. The development has sparked commotion among the flyers, including non-resident Odia`s and stakeholders who depend heavily on the route for travel, business and tourism.
The Bhubaneswar-Dubai direct flight was flagged off from Biju Patnaik International Airport on 15May, 2023. Operated by IndiGo Airlines, the service ran thrice a week and was hailed as a landmark step in Odisha’s international aviation push. After the direct flight was introduced, Dubai’s status as a major global travel hub had opened up new avenues for investment, trade and tourism for the state, besides offering multiple options for leisure travellers from across the world looking to visit Odisha.
Dr. Mohanty said, the BJD government had made a budgetary provision of Rs. 100 crore as viability gap funding every year to ensure sustainability of the service. Under this one-of-its-kind air linking project, the state had to bear part of the operational costs to support the airline until passenger occupancy stabilised and the route became commercially viable. BJD urges BJP government to intervene to safeguard tourism, trade, and connectivity.
