Lucknow, Jun 24 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the elevation of the Kushinagar airport to the status of an international airport would open new avenues for development of the Purvanchal region.

The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning international airport status to the Kushinagar airport at a Union Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

He said that the Jewar international airport would ensure air connectivity to west UP and the Kushinagar airport to the eastern part of the state.

He said that the Kushinagar airport getting international status would also help in developing the Buddhist circuit which includes Kushinagar, Sarnath, Shravasti, Kapilavastu, Kaushmabhi, Sankisa, Lumbini and Bodhgaya.

The chief minister said that this would also give a major boost to international tourism.

"Air travel to and from Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and other countries would be made easier," he said.

The chief minister further said that this would generate employment opportunities in the state and give a boost to economic activities in the region.

The airport project is spread across 590 acres of land and about 95 per cent of the work on the project has been completed.