Patna, 8 December (Daily Kiran) – The Indigo crisis continues to disrupt air travel at Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. On Monday, five flights were cancelled, adding to the trouble faced by passengers as flights have been cancelled for six consecutive days.
Passengers are facing significant difficulties, with many unable to attend interviews or other important commitments. Some have spent the entire day at the airport hoping for updates. On Sunday, ten Indigo flights to cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata were cancelled. Additionally, the flights that operated experienced delays of up to thirty minutes.
Monday’s cancellations from Patna airport affected flights primarily bound for Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. Passengers received individual notifications regarding cancellations and delays.
In response to the ongoing crisis, East Central Railway (Hajipur) has started operating a special train service from Patna. On Sunday, one additional coach was added to both the Sampark Kranti and Tejas Rajdhani Express trains to accommodate more passengers. A help desk has also been set up at the airport, and a dedicated helpline number 9771449159 has been issued for air travellers.
Senior DCM of Danapur railway division, Abhinav Siddharth, stated that the special train 02309 from Patna to Anand Vihar Terminal departs at 8:30 pm and arrives the next day at 3:00 pm. Furthermore, an extra third AC coach was added to the Tejas Rajdhani and an additional second AC coach to the Sampark Kranti Express, increasing the total passenger coaches in these trains from 22 to 23. The 24-hour help desk at Patna airport is providing relief to affected passengers.
Nearly 180 flights from Patna have been cancelled over the past six days. Meanwhile, Indigo claims to have operated 1,650 of its scheduled 2,300 daily flights. Indigo CEO Peter Elbers said the situation is improving and the network is expected to stabilise by 10 December.
Between 8 and 11 December, a total of 58 Indigo flights from Patna will remain cancelled. This includes 12 pairs of flights on the Delhi sector, 5 pairs to Hyderabad, and 4 pairs each to Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chennai. On the night of 8 December, airfares to Delhi surged to ₹13,200, with flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad fully booked.
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(Daily Kiran) / Govind Chaudhary
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
