Patna: Thick fog disrupted air traffic at Patna’s Jayprakash Narayan International Airport on Tuesday, causing significant delays and passenger inconvenience. A flight from Delhi was diverted to Raipur due to poor visibility, while 43 flights experienced delays ranging from 25 minutes to three hours, and eight flights were cancelled.
According to airport authorities, the reduced visibility made take-offs and landings challenging throughout the morning. Affected flights included services from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. The cancelled flights were primarily operated by IndiGo Airlines, covering routes such as Patna-Chennai, Patna-Bengaluru, Patna-Delhi, and Patna-Hyderabad.
One specific incident involved IndiGo flight 6E-6389 from Delhi, scheduled to land at 11:15 AM in Patna. The aircraft circled Patna’s airspace three times before being diverted to Raipur. The flight was able to land later in the evening after a partial improvement in weather conditions.
Passengers faced long waits at the airport terminal, with some reporting they were informed of cancellations only after two hours of waiting. Airlines offered alternate travel dates to most affected passengers, while some opted for ticket refunds.
The airport administration continues to monitor the situation closely. The meteorological department has forecast similar dense fog conditions in the coming days during morning hours, advising passengers to check flight status before travelling.
