Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday inaugurated a new airport at Jharsuguda, which he said will attract investors to the mineral-rich area and would act as a lifeline in the western region of the state. The prime minister said the airport would go a long way in transforming the state into a modern and developed one.

Noting that only one major airport existed in Odisha for so many years, Modi said Kutch district in Gujarat alone has five airports. "Now, the second airport of the state would act as a lifeline in western region of Odisha and attract investors to the mineral-rich region," he said. Asserting that the BJP-led government has been taking concrete steps for strengthening the aviation sector, he said only 450 aircraft operated in the country since Independence, while steps have been taken for 950 new aircraft during the last one year.