The ongoing expansion work at Patna airport. Picture by Deepak Kumar

The passenger holding capacity at Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, would increase two-fold from May.

To cope with the rush, the ongoing expansion work of the existing terminal building of the airport would be completed in a month, said Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials. The expansion work includes redeveloping the VVIP lounge and extension of the security hold area at the terminal building, which is undersized at present.

“Considering the continuous rise in flow of passengers at the Patna airport and shortage of space, we first focused on increasing the seating capacity under the expansion plan. We have razed the VVIP lounge to extend the security hold area and also create a passenger seating area towards the northern side of the existing terminal. This work is likely to be completed within a month,” a senior officer with AAI said.

According to sources, the footfall at the terminal building of the Patna airport is around 2,700 daily against its actual capacity of 200 people. The ongoing expansion, which started in April 2012, is being done to absorb a fraction of the overburdened terminal.

“The seating capacity of the passenger holding area in the extended portion of the airport would be around 200, which is equal to the existing passenger capacity of the terminal building,” said the AAI official.

Sources said the expansion plan is nothing when compared to the master plan of the overall expansion of the airport, which is aimed at developing infrastructure and facilities on a par with most of the international airports across the country.

“At present, we are just increasing the seating capacity and providing drinking water and toilet facilities. Later, we want to develop an executive lounge and a food lounge. To maintain the highest standards, we want renowned firms to run the proposed facilities,” said the AAI official.

Passengers, too, emphasised on the urgent need for expansion of the terminal building.

“It is difficult to find seats inside the terminal when several flights get delayed at once. There have been several occasions, especially in winters, when I had to stand for hours because of overcrowding at the terminal building. It is high time that the authorities extend the building,” said Ravi Mishra, a resident of Boring Road, who is studying MBA in Pune.