The Odisha government plans to enhance aviation infrastructure in western Odisha by constructing four new airstrips in Jamadarpali (Sambalpur), Satibhata (Bargarh), Gotma (Nuapada), and Tusura (Balangir). This will increase the total number of airports in the region to eight.

Currently, the region has four operational airports: Jeypore (Koraput), Veer Surendra Sai Airport (Jharsuguda), Rourkela (Sundargarh), and Utkela (Kalahandi), all of which have direct connectivity to Bhubaneswar.

In response to an Assembly query by Balangir MLA Kalikesh Singh Deo, Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena stated that Jeypore Airport will be upgraded from 2B to 3C category, requiring 229.4 acres of land and a budget of Rs 64.4 crore. Tusura airport in Balangir district will be upgraded to 2B with Rs 65 crore sanctioned for its development. The foundation for this upgrade was laid in November 2024, and an obstacle limitation survey has been completed. 

Additionally, four more airports will be made operational at Raisua and Barbil (Keonjhar), Gudari (Kandhamal), and Dandabos and Amarda (Mayurbhanj) to serve central, north, and west-central Odisha.

The government has also allocated Rs 45 crore to develop the World War II airstrip at Amarda Road, owned by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Further, the state budget includes provisions for a greenfield airport at Paradip, an industrial and port town, to enhance trade, export, and connectivity in coastal industrial clusters.