Patna: Air travel in Patna was thrown into disarray on Wednesday after thick fog and poor visibility disrupted flight schedules. One flight was diverted to another city, while several others were delayed, leaving passengers anxious and frustrated.
IndiGo flight 6E713, which was travelling from Kolkata to Patna, was the most affected. The aircraft could not land at Patna airport because of dense fog and low visibility. For safety reasons, the flight was diverted to Varanasi, where all passengers were safely transported and given information about further arrangements.
Other services also suffered delays. IndiGo’s flight 6E2043 from Mumbai reached Patna 36 minutes later than scheduled, and flight 6E6277 from Bengaluru arrived 24 minutes behind time. Passengers said they faced long waiting periods and uncertainty about arrival times.
Departures from Patna were also hit by the weather. Flight 6E805 to Bengaluru left 40 minutes late, while flight 6E126 from Pune took off 19 minutes behind schedule. The longest delay was for flight 6E2167 to Mumbai, which departed 57 minutes late.
Airport officials said the sudden change in weather made it unsafe for flights to operate as planned. “Passenger safety is always the top priority. Flights can only land or take off once visibility improves,” an official said. With the winter season approaching, experts have warned that more delays and diversions are likely in the coming weeks.
