Patna: Flight operations at Patna’s Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport were disrupted for several hours on Friday after IndiGo Airlines cancelled eight pairs of flights, citing operational reasons. The cancellations affected services connecting Patna with Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, causing inconvenience to a large number of passengers.
The affected IndiGo flights included services on the Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai routes, with passengers reporting difficulties in securing refunds and rebooking seats on alternative flights at short notice.
In addition, one pair of SpiceJet flights operating between Patna and Mumbai was also cancelled, adding to the disruption. Airline staff assisted affected SpiceJet passengers with refund procedures and rebooking on the next available services.
Delays add to passenger inconvenience
Beyond cancellations, delays were reported across the airport throughout the day. Fifteen departing flights and six arriving flights operated behind schedule, with delays ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. The hold-ups led to longer waiting times inside the terminal and disrupted onward and connecting journeys for several travellers.
Despite the disruptions, airport officials said 32 pairs of flights operated as scheduled, helping maintain a degree of balance in overall air traffic.
Airport authorities attributed the cancellations and delays primarily to operational challenges faced by airlines and said they were in constant coordination with carriers to restore normal operations.
Winter schedule to reduce flight frequency
Passengers were advised to check the latest status of their flights before leaving for the airport and to arrive well in advance to avoid further inconvenience.
Officials also confirmed that the winter schedule will come into effect from December 17, under which IndiGo will reduce its operations at Patna to 23 pairs of flights. Air India is expected to operate five pairs, Air India Express two pairs, and SpiceJet three pairs during the winter schedule.
Airport authorities said travellers should remain alert to schedule changes in the coming days as airlines adjust operations under the new seasonal timetable.
