Patna: Flights to Qatar and Dubai from Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport were cancelled on Saturday following the escalation of conflict in West Asia, leaving more than 50 passengers stranded and deepening financial anxieties for migrant workers from Bihar.
The closure of airbases in Gulf countries, including Qatar, Daman and Dubai, disrupted travel plans for passengers from districts such as Darbhanga, Siwan, Jehanabad, Saran and Kishanganj. Many had already completed check-in formalities and received boarding passes before being informed around 4pm that their flights had been cancelled.
A crowd soon gathered at airline counters on the first floor of the airport, with the largest number of passengers at the IndiGo ticket desk. Several said they had spent thousands of rupees to reach Patna and now faced additional losses.
“We had already got our boarding passes when we were told the flight was cancelled. The money spent on travel to the airport has gone to waste,” one passenger said.
Among those affected was Imam Ali, a resident of Gopalganj, who had secured a visa to Qatar by taking a loan at 10% interest from a local moneylender. Ali said he paid Rs 70,000 to an agent in Mumbai for a 60-day visa, intending to travel from Patna to Delhi and onward to Qatar for his first overseas job.
“I borrowed the money because I didn’t have it. Now I don’t know if the visa period will be extended. If it isn’t, I will lose everything,” he said.
Upendra Kumar Giri, from Siwan, had been returning to his job in the water and power sector in the Gulf after a 50-day leave in his village. “After boarding, we were told the flight had been cancelled. We are being forced to return home,” he said.
Other passengers, including Shahzada Khan, Mohammad Kamruddin and Shivkumar, said they had worked in Qatar and Daman for several years and were now uncertain about their future. They reported losing thousands of rupees spent on travel and luggage meant for transport back to their workplaces.
Passengers said more than 10,000 people from districts including Siwan, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Gopalganj are employed in Gulf countries, working in roles ranging from cooking to construction labour. Many live there with their families, while others travel home annually for limited leave of 45 to 50 days permitted by employers.
With flights grounded and tensions rising in the region, stranded workers expressed fears not only about immediate financial losses but also about potential job insecurity if the conflict persists. “We don’t know what will happen next,” one passenger said.
