Air India Express on Tuesday announced the launch of four new routes from Bhubaneswar as a part of the airline’s expansion plan in eastern India.

These services will connect the Odisha capital to Jaipur, Lucknow, Kochi and Patna, the airline said in a statement.

This expansion reinforces Bhubaneswar’s connectivity to key regional and cultural centres across India, it said.

The services to Jaipur and Kochi will commence on January 3, 2025, followed by the launch of flights to Lucknow on January 4 and Patna on January 15, the statement said.

Bookings are now open.

The Bhubaneswar-Jaipur flight will operate four days a week - Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while the Bhubaneswar-Kochi and Bhubaneswar-Patna flights will operate daily.

The Bhubaneswar-Lucknow flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Additionally, the airline showcased Odisha’s cultural heritage with its 'Ikat livery', beautifully displayed on one of its newest aircraft, the airline statement said.

'Ikat' or 'Ikkat' is a type of colouring fabric in patterns.

Air India Express now operates 104 weekly flights from Bhubaneswar, connecting the city directly to major destinations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, and Pune.

Air India Express, is a subsidiary of Air India and a part of the Tata group, operating over 400 daily flights, connecting 36 domestic and 15 international airports, with a fleet of 90 aircraft, comprising 61 Boeing 737s and 29 Airbus A320s.

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