The Bhubaneswar Airport in the initial days used to handle Dakotas. only. Then came Fokker Friendship. Now the Airport, having wide runways accepts Boeing and Airbus Jets of Indian Airlines and other Airlines like Sahara. It has the capability to be an international airport. Bhubaneswar (BBI) is well connected with Madras, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, Vizag, Raipur and Port Blair. From Hyderabad, one gets flights to Bangalore, Cochin, and other destinations in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
The importance of an Airport is linked with the status of the City in which it is situated. Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa. In 1950, the Capital was moved to Bhubaneswar from overcrowded Cuttack. Bhubaneswar’s history goes back to 2000 years as the excavations of a ruined city Sishupal Garh have shown. Beside the site of the capital of ancient Kalinga, Bhubaneswar is known as the Temple Town and Cathedral City on account of many Temples it has in the extravagant Orissan style. The great Lingaraj Temple is the main temple of real interest. Lord Shiva is worshipped here. The statue of Lord Ganesha is a huge one and is very impressive. Then there is the Mukteswara Temple. There is the Kedara Gowrie Temple, and the Tank, which is associated with a legendary love story. It is said that the water of the Kedara Gowrie Tank has medicinal properties.
Bhubaneswar has the Khandagiri, Udayagiri and the Dhauligiri Caves on hill tops. It is here that the Emperor Ashoka, after becoming victorious in th Kalinga War was completely changed. From Chandashoka he became Dharmashoka. The History of Bhubaneswar is full of Orissan Glory.