Patna, Jan. 16: The wait for a private chartered flight service from the state capital is over. Well, almost.

The much-anticipated ser-vice could be launched by the last week of this month, said the service providers, Door-to-Door Services (DTDS). First, the service was supposed to be launched sometime in November last year. But last month, the operators pushed back the take-off schedule to February this year.

Now, they have decided that of the two aircraft, which will be pressed into service, the first will touch down at Patna airport on January 20. Bookings will open within a couple of days as well.

Leslie Marcar, marketing head, DTDS, told The Telegraph over telephone from Bangalore: “One of the chart-ered flights will be brought to Bihar Flying Club at Patna airport on January 20 for a demonstration. We are trying to launch the service by the last week of January.”

He added: “All necessary groundwork have been done. We have obtained clearance from the directorate-general of civil aviation and the Union ministry of civil aviation. We have also finalised the operation schedule of the flights.”

Once the service is launched, residents will be able to fly to Jamshedpur within an hour and 15 minutes. At present, there is no flight between Patna and the industrial town in Jharkhand.

Travelling to Purnea and Darbhanga will also be easier and swifter. At present, it takes around four hours to travel between Patna and Darbhanga by road, and about seven to reach Purnea. The flight will take around 25 minutes and an hour to transport passengers to Darbhanga and Purnea respectively. In smaller towns, which do not have an air- port, the aircraft will land at the state hangar or air force runways.

The aircraft would also be hired out for other services like parties, tourism and business, or simply as air taxis.

To book a seat on the flight to Jamshedpur, a flyer would have to shell out around Rs 6,395. One has to pay Rs 2,995 and Rs Rs 4,995 to fly to Darbhanga and Purnea respectively.

Residents, however, are less concerned about the cost factor and more excited about the new service. Patliputra resident Amit Mishra said: “Chartered flight is an exciting initiative. With the development of the state, people need to travel between different districts frequently in the least possible time. Chartered flights would be very helpful.”

The marketing executive of a private company also had an advice for the operators: “I would like them to think of expanding the services to other districts as well.”

Mishra and others like him would soon be able to book their tickets online. Marcar said: “Flyers would be able to book their tickets on our website, www.dtdsindia.com. The website is ready and the booking services would be launched within a few days.”

The expansion of the service, however, could be a far cry for now. One of the two nine-seat Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan aircraft that DTDC has hired from Spirit Air Pvt. Ltd has developed a snag even before the launch of the service. “One aircraft has developed a snag. We will launch the service with one aircraft only. The other would be pressed into service soon,” Marcar said.