Patna: Air connectivity between Patna and Delhi-NCR is set to improve from May 1 as Air India Express launches a daily direct flight between Bihar’s capital and Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad. The service aims to provide a faster and more convenient alternative to travellers from Noida, Meerut, and Ghaziabad, who currently rely on Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Flight IX-1518 will depart from Patna at 11:50 am and land at Hindon by 1:40 pm, covering the journey in just 110 minutes. The return leg will take off at 2:25 pm and arrive in Patna at 4:10 pm. All 180 seats on the aircraft will be economy class, with fares starting at Rs 5,072 from Patna to Hindon and Rs 4,200 for the return journey.
The airfare is competitively priced, rivalling the Vande Bharat Express, which charges Rs 2,575 for an AC chair car and Rs 4,655 for an executive chair car from Patna to Delhi. With the added benefit of skipping Delhi traffic and airport congestion, the new service is expected to attract significant passenger interest from the NCR region.
Hindon Airport, located approximately 40 km from IGI Airport, has been gaining prominence as a secondary aviation hub for Delhi. The new flight will be particularly beneficial for residents of the NCR suburbs who will no longer need to travel across the city to catch a flight to Patna.
Patna Airport has announced its summer schedule, expanding the total number of daily flight pairs from 43 to 45. New routes to Chennai and Bengaluru have also been introduced, with flights operating from 7:35 am to 11:35 pm.
