Purnia: Purnia Airport will soon start direct flights to Mumbai, Guwahati and Bengaluru after witnessing a rapid increase in passenger traffic. In just three months, the airport recorded a total of 54,037 passengers, highlighting the growing importance of air travel in the Seemanchal region. To celebrate the milestone, Airport Director DK Gupta cut a cake with his staff and said the Airports Authority of India was pleased with the airport’s strong performance since operations began.
Gupta said the interim terminal building, inaugurated on 15 September 2025, has seen impressive growth from day one. Passenger numbers jumped from 2,718 in September to over 32,000 in November. Purnia Airport initially started flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata through Star Air and IndiGo. As demand increased, airlines upgraded to daily flights and later added new routes to New Delhi and Hyderabad. The airport currently manages around ten flights each day and may see more additions as demand continues to climb.
A major expansion project is now underway to support this growing traffic. A new apron with five parking bays—four for Airbus aircraft and one for ATR—is being built. This will later be expanded to 12 bays. Work has also begun on a modern 30,000-square-metre terminal building with the capacity to handle 3,000 passengers at a time. The upcoming terminal will include boarding bridges and upgraded passenger facilities, matching the standards of larger airports across the country.
Gupta confirmed that all preparations have been completed for flights to Mumbai, Guwahati and Bengaluru, and airlines are expected to launch these routes early in the New Year. Social activist Pankaj Nayak, the first-ever passenger to travel from Purnia Airport, was present during the celebrations, along with officials from IndiGo and Star Air. Between September and December, the airport handled 592 aircraft movements, reflecting its fast-growing role as an emerging aviation hub for the region.
