PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar international airport; all you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, near Lord Buddha's Parinirvana, on Wednesday, October 20. The airport is intended to enhance tourism on the Buddhist circuit. On Wednesday, PM Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, UP Governor Anandiben Patel, notable monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, and ambassadors from several nations attende the inauguration ceremony and took part in an event commemorating 'Abhidhamma Day' at Mahaparinirvana Temple.

Know more about the infrastructure of the Kushinagar International Airport 

• The airport, which intends to improve tourist influx in the state, extends over 3,600 sqm and cost Rs 260 crores to complete. Aside from that, roughly 300 people can stay during peak hours at the airport in Kushinagar, which is an International Buddhist Pilgrimage Centre and the hub of the Buddhist circuit with pilgrimage sites in Sarnath, Gaya, and Lumbini.
• The airport will connect adjacent districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and it is a significant step toward increasing investment and job prospects in the region.
• The airport will shorten the route in Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Rajgir, Sankisa, and Vaishali by boosting the development of a Buddhist theme-based circuit.
• Direct airlines to South Asian countries will make it easier for tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, among other places, to visit the rich heritage. 
• The airport will enhance the state's and region's economic development by having a multiplier effect on the hotel business, tourism agencies, local industry and products, eateries, and so on.
• Diplomats from 12 countries attended the inauguration ceremony at the Kushinagar Airport - Mongolia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Republic of Korea, Nepal, Japan and Singapore.

Take a look at the newly built Kushinagar International Airport 

UP CM Yogi ensures employment & Tourism opportunities 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that the opening of an international airport in Kushinagar will create a plethora of job and tourism prospects in East Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath made the remarks while inspecting preparations in Kushinagar, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration of the airport. "The airport will bring immense employment and tourism opportunities and Kushinagar is eager to welcome Sri Lankan delegates and PM Modi on Wednesday. We will be able to send the message of international friendship and compassion to Lord Buddha, all over the world," he said.

PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport

PM Modi began his tour to Uttar Pradesh on October 20 by inaugurating the Kushinagar International Airport, followed by a programme at the Buddhist site of Mahaparinirvana stupa and temple. He will also visit the exhibition of Ajanta fresco paintings, Buddhist Sutra calligraphy, and Buddhist artefacts. Following that, he will lay the foundation for Rajkiya Medical College, followed by the foundation for 12 other development projects worth Rs 180 crore. In the meantime, on the occasion of Abhidhamma Day, the tourist department will host a tourism promoting event in Kushinagar.

Image: Twitter/PIB_India/BJP4UIndia