THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), the main air gateway of Odisha, currently has no operational international flight, while its domestic connectivity has also declined sharply, with the number of destinations falling from 33 in 2025 to 19 this year, the state Assembly was informed on Thursday.

State Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, replying to a question by BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, said several domestic air services had been discontinued at different points of time, including flights connecting Bhubaneswar with Indore, Dehradun, Kochi, Pune and Goa.

The airport has also witnessed a major contraction in its international connectivity.

Direct services from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, which were earlier operational, have been withdrawn. The Dubai and Singapore routes were discontinued due to low passenger demand and commercial non-viability, while services to Abu Dhabi have also been stopped, Jena said.

The minister attributed the disruptions to multiple factors, including passenger demand, airline profitability, low passenger load factors, operational issues and seasonal variations in demand.

The Odisha government had earlier extended Viability Gap Funding (VGF) assistance to support the continuation of the Dubai and Singapore air services, he said.

However, there is some relief on the international connectivity front, with IndiGo planning to launch a direct Bhubaneswar-Bangkok service from October 1, 2026, Jena added.

The development assumes significance for Odisha's tourism, trade and business sectors, which rely on Bhubaneswar airport as the state's principal air connectivity hub.

The decline in domestic destinations and withdrawal of international services have raised concerns over air connectivity from the state capital, particularly as Bhubaneswar serves as a key gateway for tourists, business travellers and exporters.

With the proposed Bangkok service, the state is set to regain at least one direct international connection, even as the government continues to face the challenge of restoring wider overseas connectivity from BPIA.