Air India Express: In a piece of good news for air travellers, Air India Express has commenced daily flight operations from Patna to three key cities. These are Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, and Hyderabad. The airline made the announcement on Wednesday, emphasising its strategy to link emerging cities with important domestic and international destinations. . The airline's decision is expected to mark a significant boost in connectivity for the region.
A celebratory event was held at Patna airport to mark the occasion, with the inaugural flights taking off amidst great enthusiasm. Senior officials from the Airports Authority of India, Air India Express, and other key stakeholders from Jay Prakash Narayan Airport attended the event. To commemorate the event, special boarding passes were given to the first guests on the inaugural flights.
Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, is undergoing rapid network expansion, supported by its growing fleet, which is nearing the 100-aircraft milestone, the statement added. The airline recently added Dimapur, Dibrugarh, Sri Vijay Puram (Port Blair) and Jammu to its domestic network, and international destinations like Bangkok and Phuket. "This growth has enabled a 30 per cent increase in its winter schedule compared to last year, with more than 400 daily flights now operating, up from over 325 last year," the statement added.
Air India Express increases its operations
Last month, Air India Express announced a 25 per cent increase in its operations from the state this winter, introducing two new direct routes from Bengaluru. Officials said the airline's weekly flights from Karnataka have grown from 380 last year to over 475 this season, reinforcing its commitment to the region. As part of this expansion, two new direct routes from Bengaluru were introduced, connecting the city to Amritsar domestically and to Dammam internationally.
In addition to these new routes, Air India Express also launched services on the Bengaluru–Indore and Bengaluru–Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) routes. The airline has also increased its Bengaluru–Abu Dhabi flights to daily operations, with flights to Patna began on January 15, 2025. The airline has enhanced operations at Mangaluru Airport as well, introducing new routes to Pune (from January 4, 2025), Singapore (from January 21, 2025), and Delhi (from February 1, 2025).
(With PTI inputs)