Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, which will provide connectivity to eight key Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
“Kushinagar International Airport is the result of decades of aspiration and effort. My happiness is two-fold today. This is the moment of fulfilling a commitment towards the people of Purvanchal,” said PM Modi after inaugurating the Kushinagar airport, the third international airport in UP. He also noted that the Kushinagar International Airport won’t just be a mode of air connectivity, rather it will create an ecosystem of business and generate employment opportunities for the local youth.
Kushinagar being the important Buddhist pilgrimage site and is believed to be the final resting place of Gautama Buddha. It is also at the centre of a key Buddhist tourist circuit, which includes Lumbini, Sarnath and Ayodhya.
The inauguration of the Kushinagar International Airport was marked by the landing of the inaugural flight at the airport from Colombo, Sri Lanka, carrying a Sri Lankan delegation of over 100 Buddhist monks and dignitaries, including the 12-member holy relic entourage bringing the holy Buddha relics for exposition.
This will be U.P.’s ninth airport, seven of which have been developed in the past seven years alone. The State will get 11 more airports in the years to come, including two international ones, U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
