Bhubaneswar, Sept. 20: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today urged the Centre to take up expeditiously the process of converting and declaring the Biju Patnaik Airport here as an international facility.

“There is only one operational domestic airport in the state and even that is deprived of international operations,” the chief minister told the Union civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh, during their meeting in New Delhi today.

Naveen told Singh that Odisha had witnessed huge investments in various sectors. The total investments in the 2011 calendar year stood at Rs 3.21 lakh crore, which was by far the highest in the country. There has also been a significant increase in the flow of domestic and international tourist traffic to Odisha, he said.

“There is an urgent need to provide adequate infrastructure support in the aviation sector in Odisha to ensure unhindered industrialisation and steady flow of tourists to the state,” said the chief minister. Official sources said Singh, too, assured Naveen that all necessary steps were being taken to upgrade the airport.

Naveen requested the Union minister to start international flight operations from Bhubaneswar to various countries in the West and Southeast Asian regions.

He suggested the civil aviation ministry to initiate the process of promoting Odisha as a world-class tourist destination and provide necessary support for holding a major conference in Bhubaneswar in early 2013.

Singh assured Naveen that his ministry would advise Air India and other domestic airlines to start international operations from Bhubaneswar. He also agreed to the proposal of organising a conference in Bhubaneswar early next year to promote tourism in Odisha.

Naveen also said that his government had already approved allotment of 191 acres for developing a domestic airport in Jharsuguda and urged the Centre to take necessary steps to develop the airport at the earliest.

Assuring his support, the Union minister suggested that Odisha should also explore the possibility of developing the airport in Jharsuguda in public-private partnership mode.

He also assured Naveen that the Airports Authority of India would conduct feasibility studies for development of airstrips in Jeypore and Gopalpur.