Kolkata gets four weekly flights to Deoghar, more on anvil

KOLKATA: IndiGo started operation of direct flight between Kolkata and Deoghar on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the inaugural flight at the airport that links pilgrimage spot Baidyanath Dham to Kolkata.
The flight will operate four days-a-week on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It will take off from Kolkata at 2.55pm and reach Deoghar at 4.15pm. The return flight will take off at 4.35pm and touch down at Kolkata at 5.50pm.
On Tuesday, the flight took from Kolkata with 54 passengers in a 78 seater ATR-72 and returned from Deoghar to Kolkata with 76 passengers.
Families in Kolkata have had a link with Jasidih and Deoghar. Till 1960s and 1970s, people from the city would travel to these towns for ‘change’. The usual mode of travel was by Toofan Express till Jasidih and then a connecting train to Deoghar. The nine hours journey can now be completed in 1 hour and 20 minutes. “I am confident that the new airport in Deoghar will be a game-changer for the entire region. It will give immense impetus to tourism and boost growth. I urge you all to visit Deoghar in the times to come,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted after the inauguration.