Soon, Odisha will be just a short journey from Visakhapatnam!

Air connectivity between Visakhapatnam and Odisha is likely to improve by 2025, as IndiaOne has proposed a direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Malkangiri, a tribal-dominated district in Odisha.  The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA) has already given a nod for the flight services.

The proposal was received by the airport authorities of Visakhapatnam and they have confirmed that if everything goes as planned, the services will be opened by the year 2025.

According to the sources, the pre-operation arrangements are underway for IndiaOne to operate a nine-seater aircraft between Malkangiri and Visakhapatnam. If everything goes well, tourists and residents can enjoy a faster mode of transportation. 

Even though IndiaOne Airlines is working on operating flights between these two places, the Malkangiri airport is not yet fully operational for commercial and tourist purposes.  Malkangiri airport, which was formally opened in January 2024, operates only non-scheduled and emergency flights, which are not like regular flights carrying passengers.

Addressing the media Malkangiri Collector Ashish Deva Patil said, “There are no services like regular passenger flights here. We are currently prioritising the development of the airport’s infrastructure and tenders have also been invited. It is being estimated when the airport will be ready for scheduled flights soon.”

If everything falls into place, tourists and people from across Odisha can get a faster mode of transport from Visakhapatnam to Malkangiri.

As the officials are preparing direct flight services for better air connectivity between Odisha and Visakhapatnam, Malkangiri residents are demanding better train services between the cities. 

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