Patna: Flight operations at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna were severely disrupted on Friday morning as strong winds, heavy rain and poor visibility affected aircraft movements across the region.
At least four flights were diverted to other airports, while several departures and arrivals were delayed by one to four hours. Airport sources said more than 600 passengers were affected by the disruption.
Four Flights Diverted
According to airport officials, Air India Express flight IX-1346, scheduled to arrive in Patna at 7:30am, remained in a holding pattern over the city for some time before being diverted to Lucknow after weather conditions failed to improve.
IndiGo flight 6E-6245, which was due to land in Patna at 7:55am, was diverted to Kolkata because of adverse weather.
Another IndiGo service, flight 6E-6394 from Chandigarh, scheduled to arrive at 8:55am, encountered turbulence and was also diverted to Lucknow.
IndiGo flight 6E-2769 from Delhi, expected to arrive in Patna at 9:50am, was similarly diverted to Lucknow.
Departures Delayed by Several Hours
The adverse weather also affected outbound services from Patna to Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar and other destinations.
Passengers were forced to wait at the airport for extended periods, leading to heavy congestion in the departure area. Several travellers expressed frustration over the delays.
Among the major delays:
- The Patna–Delhi Air India Express flight, scheduled for 8:00am, departed at 11:59am.
- The IndiGo flight to Hyderabad, scheduled for 8:30am, took off at 12:17pm.
- The IndiGo flight to Bhubaneswar, scheduled for 9:25am, departed at 12:47pm.
- The Air India flight to Delhi, scheduled for 10:20am, departed at 11:07am.
- The IndiGo flight to Delhi, scheduled for 10:30am, took off at 1:35pm.
- The Patna–Chandigarh IndiGo flight, originally scheduled for 12:55pm, was rescheduled to 3:55pm.
Operations Gradually Restored
Airport officials said flight operations gradually returned to normal after weather conditions improved later in the day.
The disruptions coincided with a spell of heavy rain and strong winds across Bihar, where the India Meteorological Department has forecast continued stormy weather in several districts over the coming days.
