SpiceJet commences Gorakhpur-Varanasi flight on March 27

SpiceJet commences Gorakhpur-Varanasi flight on March 27 which is expected to boost tourism and open up new employment opportunities in the state.

Image for representation

The SpiceJet Gorakhpur-Varanasi flight, an initiative under the UDAN scheme, was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on March 27 via video conferencing. 

Union civil aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia participated in the function from Gwalior.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that nine airports are running in Uttar Pradesh and air connectivity has vastly improved in five years. The work of connecting other countries is also going on.

"At present, nine airports are functioning in the state. Four years ago, just four airports in the state were connected to mere 25 destinations. Now flights for 75 destinations across the country are available from the state," the chief minister said.

He said that the increase in air connectivity would not only boost tourism but also open up new employment opportunities in the state. The 78-seater flight will take around 25 minutes to cover the distance between Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

The Vishwanath temple in Varanasi is being connected to Gorakhnath by air today. It is a matter of great pleasure for me that Gorakhpur to Kanpur, Varanasi to Mumbai, Kanpur to Patna, Kushinagar to Kolkata and six other planes are starting today to connect different destinations of the state and the country, and I would like to thank the civil aviation minister on behalf of the people of the state, Adityanath said.

"We all know that Kashi (Varanasi) is the oldest city in the world and due to the work done at Vishwanath temple under the leadership of the prime minister, people across the country would like to visit it," Adityanath said.

The BJP leader also mentioned about the new airports to be built at Chitrakoot, Sonbhadra and Shravasti as well as the functionalization of the international airport at Kushinagar.

(With inputs from agencies)