Dhaka, April 2 -- The Bhubaneswar airport will get its maiden international flight with IndiGo starting a direct service to Dubai from May 15, officials said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ticket sales for the flight on the occasion of Utkal Dibasa on Saturday.

IndiGo will operate the service thrice a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The inaugural ticket price is Rs.10,000 per sector, an official said.

"Connectivity is the key to development and it has been a focus area of our government. Direct connectivity with Dubai, which is one of the biggest aviation hubs, will open up a gateway to the world," Mr. Patnaik said.

The flight service will have a huge multiplier effect on investment in Odisha in sectors like IT, m...