Biju Patnaik’s Dakota aircraft reaches Bhubaneswar, to be stationed at airport for public viewing

Three vehicles carrying the parts reached the state capital on Wednesday as hundreds of people waited along the national highway to welcome the aircraft.

The (DC-3) aircraft bearing registration number VT-AUI, belonging to the erstwhile Kalinga Airlines founded by legendary leader and former chief minister Biju Patnaik, was lying in a remote corner of the Kolkata airport. The 8-tonne and 65-foot-long aircraft was first flown in February 1944.

“The aircraft has been brought back to Odisha as it has huge historical significance and is a symbol of the Odia pride. It will tell the daredevilry of Biju Patnaik, who was a daring pilot, a freedom fighter and a former CM. The history of Dakota aircraft will inspire the future generations of Odisha,” senior commerce and transport department official Manoj Mishra told The Indian Express.

Mishra, who played a key role in bringing back the aircraft, said the Odisha government has already identified land at the entry point of the Terminal-1 (T-1) of city airport for its display.

There were also reports in a section of the media that the aircraft was used by Biju Patnaik to rescue former Indonesian vice-president Md Hatta and former Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir during the Indonesian freedom movement. Biju was also awarded the title of “Bhoomi Putra” by the Indonesian government.

Bhubaneswar-based historian Anil Dhir, who has written a book on the iconic Odia personality, however, disputed the claim saying that this particular aircraft (DC-3) VT-AUI was not used to rescue the Indonesian leaders.

Dhir said Biju Patnaik’s Kalinga Airlines had total 14 aircraft, including four of his own and the remaining 10 he had brought on lease. “Biju Patnaik, along with his pilots, flew numerous sorties to Indonesia, evading the Dutch who had put up land and sea blockades. Biju Babu’s wife Gyan, an aviator, also accompanied him on missions,” said Dhir.

Dhir said the Dakota planes would fly from Kolkata with fuel stops at Mohanbari and Singapore. These flights continued till 1949 and there were four fatal crashes.

Biju’s son and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said he was delighted that the aircraft used by Biju Babu during many historic adventures has finally returned to Odisha. The CM also said that his father had undertaken sorties to Russia, China and Nepal in this aircraft during the World War-II.

“The greatest of the adventures was that he used to fly to Indonesia with my mother, who was a co-pilot. They had gone there to rescue the independence fighters for which my father was awarded with the highest award of Indonesia — the Bhoomi Putra,” said the CM in a video shared by Naveen’s secretary V K Pandian on Instagram.

A senior Odisha government official said the state government never claimed that the plane was used by Biju Babu to rescue the Indonesian leaders.