Bokaro, Aug. 9: Steel city, keep your spirits up. Next week you will be airborne.

An investment magnet for steel behemoths like ArcelorMittal and Posco, Bokaro will soon take wing, courtesy private airline Spirit Air.

The low-cost carrier, which already operates flights in other states, has decided to link Bokaro with Calcutta five days a week. The announcement was made by regional head of Spirit Air Private Limited Suresh Prasad at a news meet today.

Prasad said they felt Bokaro was a potential destination with half a dozen corporate giants setting up plants here. The services will start from next week with a three-seater aircraft. The same will be replaced by a nine-seater from September and a 16-seater after six months. A one-way trip, which will take 45 minutes, will cost Rs 4,890.

Sources said the Bokaro aerodrome is owned by the state government, but maintained by SAIL. Since it has no night-landing facilities, the morning flight will take off from Calcutta at 6.45am and leave for Calcutta at 8.15am from Monday to Friday. In the afternoon, the air taxi will start from Calcutta at 2.45pm and leave Bokaro for Calcutta at 4pm.

“We have held talks with general manager (civil aviation), Bokaro Steel, Robin Das who has given the go-ahead and formalities are being completed with the civil aviation ministry,” Prasad said.

State civil aviation secretary V.K. Singh was not available for comments, but sources said the proposal had been on the anvil.