Dikhyaa Mohanty 
At the Biju Patnaik International Airport today, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched off the first aircraft from Bhubaneswar to Dubai with an emphasis on global connectivity. In order to promote tourism, facilitate investments, facilitate industrial development, and establish communication for the Odia diaspora living outside of India, Patnaik highlighted the advantages of partnering with a major international travel hub like Dubai.
Dubai is a significant hub for travel and tourism in the Middle East, offering access to the markets in Europe and the US. The Chief Minister stressed that a new chapter would be written in Odisha’s journey towards global connection on May 15, 2023.
To commemorate the event, delegates from Odisha boarded the flight along with the other passengers who had purchased tickets after the ticket sale went live on Utkal Dibasa on April 1, 2023. These delegates included leaders and members of Mission Shakti, delegations from the World Skill Centre, Special Development Council, Panchayati Raj, and celebrated sportspersons who were felicitated by the Chief Minister at Naveen Nivas earlier in the day.
This inaugural trip from Bhubaneswar to Dubai had 170 passengers in all, including the crew of the aircraft. To greet the departing travelers from Odisha, special arrangements were planned. The hostesses at the departure terminal presented the flyers with uttariya (stoles), an Odisha Tourism kit bag, as well as chocolates and flowers. Aswini Kumar Patra, the minister of tourism and OLLC, and Tukuni Sahu, the minister of commerce and transportation, welcomed the passengers who landed on the first direct flight from Dubai to Bhubaneswar.
