Purnia: IndiGo will start direct flights between Purnea and Kolkata from September 15, introducing the first commercial service from Purnea airport and adding the Seemanchal region to its network, with tickets now open for booking online and via the app. The route will operate thrice weekly and is expected to cut travel time to roughly 70 minutes gate-to-gate, offering a faster link for business, medical, and student travel between northeast Bihar and the eastern metro.
According to the airline, Purnea becomes IndiGo’s 94th domestic and 137th overall destination, and the fourth city in Bihar on its map after Patna, Gayaji (Gaya), and Darbhanga, with ATR aircraft planned on the sector under the regional connectivity thrust of UDAN. The service is also projected to stimulate trade and tourism, with improved access for Tier-II and Tier-III catchments across the Purnea–Katihar–Kishanganj belt to Kolkata’s aviation, healthcare, and education hubs.
Indicative schedule shared by the airline shows three weekly rotations—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—with a midday Kolkata–Purnea leg and a mid-afternoon Purnea–Kolkata return, aligning with onward connectivity at the eastern hub; passengers have been advised to check final timings on booking platforms. IndiGo executives said being the launch operator at Purnea underscores the carrier’s regional expansion, promising affordable, reliable links to emerging markets as the new airport ramps up.
