Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: The Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference will be held on Monday in Bhubaneswar to deliberate on opportunities and challenges in strengthening the civil aviation sector across Eastern India.

As per an official statement, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, State Ministers, senior officials, and industry leaders in the sector will gather at the high-profile event.

The conference will be graced by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, as the Chief Guest and inaugurated in the presence of Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who will deliver the keynote address.

Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, will also join the inaugural session.

The programme will open with a welcome address by Madhu Sudana Sankar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, followed by the state’s perspective shared by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Government of Odisha.

The day-long deliberations will cover critical themes such as airport and heliport development models, the UDAN scheme and regional connectivity, skill development in aviation, expansion of the drone ecosystem, and the future of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS).

Dedicated one-on-one sessions with the six participating states will highlight region-specific aviation priorities and policy support, while parallel industry interactions will explore avenues for investment, public-private partnerships, and collaboration in the aviation ecosystem.

Delegations from the aviation sector from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with Odisha, will participate in the discussions.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) will also be in attendance, making this conference a comprehensive platform for dialogue and decision-making.

The plenary session will feature opening remarks by Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, followed by special addresses from Om Prakash Choudhary, Minister from Chhattisgarh, and Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Minister, Commerce and Transport, Government of Odisha.

The conference will conclude with a closing keynote by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu, who will present the Government of India’s vision for expanding regional connectivity, modernising aviation infrastructure, and fostering innovation in drones and emergency air services across Eastern India.

By hosting this landmark conference, Odisha reaffirms its role as an emerging aviation hub of Eastern India and as a vital partner in driving the nation’s civil aviation growth story.

(IANS)

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