Yogi inaugurates Gorakhpur-Varanasi flight, says UP air network bigger now

Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said air connectivity in Uttar Pradesh had improved significantly after the BJP formed the government in 2017.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that air connectivity had vastly improved in Uttar Pradesh after BJP formed the government in 2017.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath addresses during the virtually inauguration of flight connectivity from Gorakhpur to Varanasi, in Lucknow on Saturday. (Agency)

“Work on connecting other states and countries with UP is also going on,” he said.

Inaugurating SpiceJet’s Gorakhpur-Varanasi flight virtually, Yogi said at present there were nine functional airports in the state, connecting 75 destinations across the country.

“Four years ago, just four airports in the state were connected to 25 destinations. Now, flights for 75 destinations across the country are available from the state,” he said.

Yogi thanked union minister for civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia for the improved air connectivity in UP.

“It is the first time that connectivity between two important cities –land of Baba Gorakhnath with land of Baba Vishwanath – has been done via air route,” he said.

The chief minister said increased air connectivity would not only ease vehicular congestion, but also boost tourism and open up new employment opportunities for the youth in the state.

“The rapid expansion in air network is a testament to PM Narendra Modi’s commitment, wherein he said that even the ones who wear slippers will now travel in airplanes,” Yogi said.

“According to the vision of the Prime Minister, development of UP will play a pivotal role in making India the world’s largest economy. To ensure this, the air connectivity has been improved to a great extent,” Yogi said.

Along with Gorakhpur-Varanasi, flights for Gorakhpur- Kanpur, Gorakhpur- Bengaluru, Varanasi- Mumbai, Kanpur- Patna and Kushinagar- Kolkata commenced on Sunday, he said.

Speaking virtually on the occasion, Scindia said “Uttar Pradesh showed the way to politics of the country. The country is determined to follow UP and its government which works for the welfare of common man and upliftment of every section of society.”

Scindia said that under the summer schedule, Varanasi will now be connected with 15 cities, up from the 11 cities earlier, while air connectivity of Gorakhpur will increase from 6 cities to 9 cities. “Soon 18 airports, including five international, will be functional in UP,” he said.

Work on extension of Gorakhpur airport’s terminal building to increase its capacity from 100 passengers to 300 is in progress, he further said.

BOX

Intl flights land at

Kushinagar airport

International flights from Vietnam and Thailand, carrying Buddhist pilgrims and tourists, landed at Kushinagar international airport on Sunday.

A state government officer said after relaxation in Covid norms by the central government, the first international flights at Kushinagar airport landed on Sunday.

BJP MLA from Kushinagar seat PN Pathak and Kushinagar international airport director AK Dewedi welcomed the pilgrims.