Bhubaneswar, Aug 7: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted license for the operation of commercial flights at Utkela Airport, situated near Bhawanipatna. This development aligns with the Central government's regional connectivity scheme UDAN, which designates the Utkela airstrip for conversion into a regional airport.
A comprehensive assessment of the airstrip's facilities and safety standards took place last month. The team, led by the DGCA's regional deputy director and comprising the Chief Aviation Security Officer (CASO) and key representatives from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and CISF, conducted the evaluation in the presence of officials from the Works Department.
The evaluation team expressed contentment with the facilities and subsequently granted a 2B license to the airstrip. Minor compliance issues were identified and duly addressed by the relevant authorities.
Earlier in March, a five-member DGCA team from Delhi and Bhubaneswar had conducted an inspection of the airport. Their assessment included a review of the flight connectivity proposal connecting Bhubaneswar and Bhawanipatna.
