Patna: With Diwali and Chhath approaching, passengers travelling to Patna are facing fresh uncertainty as airlines have cancelled some flights during the peak festival travel period, adding to the pressure on travellers already struggling with high airfares and limited train availability.The Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna on Monday informed passengers that Air India Express flight IX-2004/2817 operating on the Bengaluru-Patna-Bengaluru route had been cancelled from Nov 1 to 15 due to operational reasons, as communicated by the airline. Confirming the announcement, a senior airport official said that the cancellation period covers both Diwali and Chhath, when demand for flights to Bihar remains particularly high.The airport subsequently announced another cancellation involving Air India Express flight IX1586/1587 on the Delhi-Patna-Delhi route. The flight scheduled for Nov 8, Diwali, has also been cancelled due to operational reasons, according to the airline. Patna airport shared the information on flight cancellations through its official X account. “Passengers who have booked tickets for this period can contact Air India Express executives for flight-related information and assistance,” it stated.The cancellation has raised concerns among passengers who had planned their journeys well in advance. With railway tickets during the festive season already difficult to secure and airfares on several Patna-bound routes remaining high, passengers affected by the cancellation may have to look for alternative flights at short notice.Passengers have already been expressing concern over steep airfares on Patna-bound routes during the festive rush. Travellers have taken to social media to complain about the high cost of flying home for Diwali and Chhath, with some comparing the fares with international travel costs.A flyer, who booked his ticket almost a month ago for a round trip from Bengaluru, said that he had already spent around Rs 20,000 for a two-way journey. “Now, the fare for a one-way trip has crossed almost Rs 25,000 and Rs 31,000 on some days. All the trains are full. I do not know what to do next,” he said.“After the sudden cancellation of the flight, I am exploring options to reach Patna,” said Satyam Kumar, who received the cancellation information on Nov 1.A passenger, Pushp Ranjan, wrote on X, “I booked a flight from Bengaluru to Patna for Nov 6. Yatra shows my booking as confirmed, but the airline customer support team verbally informed me that the flight is cancelled.”With the festive rush expected to intensify over the coming days, passengers are now keeping a close watch on flight schedules and airline advisories to avoid further disruption to their journeys.
