The Odisha state cabinet on 1 February approved ₹26.87 crore (≈ US$3.2 million) in viability-gap funding for IndiGo to operate thrice-weekly services from Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport to Dubai and Singapore until 31 March 2026. The routes, launched in October 2025, risked suspension due to below-breakeven load factors.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the subsidy protects crucial international connectivity for Odisha’s IT parks, mineral exporters and a 200,000-strong Odia diaspora in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Passenger traffic on the Dubai sector averaged 62 percent in Q4 2025, below IndiGo’s 75 percent profitability threshold.
Under the agreement, IndiGo must maintain current frequencies and cap economy fares at ₹18,000 one-way before taxes.
The state will review performance in March and may extend funding if loads rise above 70 percent.
![Odisha extends subsidy to keep Bhubaneswar–Dubai & Singapore flights alive through March]()
Separately, the airport authority will fast-track a new e-immigration counter and expand customs staffing to cut arrival processing times to under 20 minutes.
Travelers making use of these new nonstop flights can further streamline their journeys by handling UAE and Singapore visa formalities online through VisaHQ. From its India-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service provides real-time requirement checks, digital document uploads and doorstep courier options, enabling both corporate and leisure passengers to secure the necessary travel authorizations well before departure.
Global mobility and talent-acquisition teams with operations in Odisha gain a direct gateway that eliminates the need for time-consuming connections via Delhi or Kolkata. Companies should update travel polices to include Bhubaneswar international services and monitor fare caps.
Industry observers say state-backed VGF models could become a template for other Tier-2 Indian cities seeking nonstop overseas links—of particular interest to exporters facing tight delivery windows under global supply-chain shifts.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the subsidy protects crucial international connectivity for Odisha’s IT parks, mineral exporters and a 200,000-strong Odia diaspora in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Passenger traffic on the Dubai sector averaged 62 percent in Q4 2025, below IndiGo’s 75 percent profitability threshold.
Under the agreement, IndiGo must maintain current frequencies and cap economy fares at ₹18,000 one-way before taxes.
The state will review performance in March and may extend funding if loads rise above 70 percent.
Separately, the airport authority will fast-track a new e-immigration counter and expand customs staffing to cut arrival processing times to under 20 minutes.
Travelers making use of these new nonstop flights can further streamline their journeys by handling UAE and Singapore visa formalities online through VisaHQ. From its India-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service provides real-time requirement checks, digital document uploads and doorstep courier options, enabling both corporate and leisure passengers to secure the necessary travel authorizations well before departure.
Global mobility and talent-acquisition teams with operations in Odisha gain a direct gateway that eliminates the need for time-consuming connections via Delhi or Kolkata. Companies should update travel polices to include Bhubaneswar international services and monitor fare caps.
Industry observers say state-backed VGF models could become a template for other Tier-2 Indian cities seeking nonstop overseas links—of particular interest to exporters facing tight delivery windows under global supply-chain shifts.
