Darbhanga: The number of flights operating from Darbhanga Airport has been steadily declining, creating growing inconvenience for passengers. As winter fades and temperatures begin to rise, travelers are facing increasing uncertainty due to reduced flight schedules and sudden cancellations.
Many passengers book their tickets weeks in advance, planning their journeys to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. However, airlines operating from the airport have reportedly been cancelling flights at the last moment, leaving passengers with little time to rearrange their travel plans.
The cancellations are forcing travelers to rely on connecting flights from other airports, often paying two to three times the normal fare. For many, this means not only additional financial burden but also longer travel times and significant disruption to their schedules.
A similar situation unfolded on Saturday when only three pairs of flights operated between Darbhanga and major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. An additional pair of flights by Akasa from Delhi and IndiGo from Kolkata operated despite not being part of the original schedule.
SpiceJet, which has historically dominated operations at Darbhanga Airport, had initially scheduled one pair of flights each for the Delhi and Mumbai routes. However, the airline later cancelled those services as well, disrupting the plans of passengers who had already booked their tickets.
Despite receiving cancellation notifications from the airline, around 30 to 40 passengers still arrived at the airport hoping to travel. While a few managed to depart using connecting flights, most were forced to abandon their plans and return home.
Since the early days of Darbhanga Airport’s operations, SpiceJet had been operating four to five daily flights connecting the city with major destinations. However, its services have gradually reduced in recent months. Officials from the airline have not provided any explanation regarding the shrinking number of flights.
