Bhubaneswar to host Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference on Aug 25

Bhubaneswar, Aug 24 (UNI) Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, State Ministers, senior officials,
Industry leaders will gather in Bhubaneswar tomorrow for the Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference to deliberate on opportunities and challenges in strengthening the aviation sector across Eastern India.

The day-long conference will cover key 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).
Delegations from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands will take part in the discussions.
Dedicated one-on-one sessions with the six participating states will address region-specific aviation priorities and policy support, while parallel industry interactions will explore investment opportunities, public-private partnerships, and collaborative initiatives in the aviation ecosystem.
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 attend, making the event a comprehensive platform for dialogue and decision-making.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu will inaugurate the conference, which will be graced by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as the Chief Guest. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol 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 a states’ perspective shared by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Government of Odisha.

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

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