On March 5, former CM Biju Patnaik’s legendary “Dakota” DC3 (AT-AUI) aircraft was revealed by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for public display at Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar. According to the Chief Minister’s office, Biju Patnaik, a former chief minister of Odisha, established the illustrious Dakota Aircraft, which belonged to the former Kalinga Airlines. Biju Patnaik, the father of Naveen Patnaik, was the chief pilot of the Kalinga airlines, which flew nearly a dozen Dakotas. “This Airplane was used by Biju Patnaik to rescue former Indonesian Vice-President Md. Hatta and former Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir,” said Naveen Patnaik.
According to the CMO statement, “for his efforts, he was accorded honorary citizenship of Indonesia and the title of ‘Bhumi Putra’ by the Indonesian Government, recognition rarely given to a foreigner. The Dakota Aircraft was transported by road on January 18 of this year from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI) to Bhubaneswar thanks to the efforts of the Odisha government. The public display of this aircraft is anticipated to motivate the people of Odisha to Dream Big.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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