Most airlines would resume regular flight operations over the next few weeks after frequent turbulence in the schedule from Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport because of visibility problems during peak winter.
Two Delhi-bound flights from Patna airport, which were suspended over the past two months, are likely to resume from mid-February. Jet Airways is likely to start a Delhi-bound flight from March. IndiGo is likely to restore the operations of a Mumbai-bound flight from February 16.
As flights are mostly not allowed to land at the airport before 10am normally from first week of November because of fog, most airlines had cancelled or rescheduled their morning flights and added some in the afternoon under their winter schedule, which came into effect from December. Change in timing was also made for the evening flights.
'We had temporarily suspended the operation of one of our three Delhi-bound flights (AI407/408) under our winter schedule, which is to end on February 15. A decision regarding resuming the flight is still to be communicated by our headquarters,' said an executive of Air India at the airport.
According to the previous schedule followed for operation of AI-407/408, the flight is scheduled to depart from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, at 1pm and reach Patna airport at 2.35pm. After a halt of half-an-hour, the flight again departs from Patna at 3.05pm and land in Delhi at 4.55pm.
Aviation experts claimed that resumption of original schedule for operation of flights has multiple benefits.
'First and most important, it would provide respite to the fliers from the 'great Indian fog drama' (the frequent disruption in flight operation because of poor visibility under foggy conditions). The worst affected from rescheduling of flights under foggy conditions are those fliers, who have connecting flights from other airports,' said Atul Singh, the executive director of Delhi-based centre for aviation, policy, safety and research.
Atul added that air traffic also witnesses slight slump in the winter, which gets over once the flights start operating under normal schedule.
'Many a time, people avoid air travel in the winter because of the frequent disruption in operation,' said Atul.
The winter schedule of Jet Airways is also slated to end on February 28. Sources said the airlines has filed application for its summer schedule with the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA).
'The airlines has already filed an application for the upcoming summer schedule (starts from April) and any decision regarding changes in the ongoing schedule would come only on the approval of DGCA,' said an executive of Jet Airways at Patna airport.
Sources in Jet Airways claimed that the airlines has proposed to reschedule its afternoon flight on New Delhi-Patna route (9W 727/728) according to its original schedule from February 28. Against its existing departure from Patna airport at 1.30pm, it is proposed to be rescheduled at 12.50pm.
IndiGo is also expected to resume operations of its Mumbai-bound flight (6E 339) from February 16. The flight operating on Bangalore-Calcutta-Patna-Lucknow-Mumbai route was temporarily suspended from mid-December last year. The flight is scheduled to arrive at Patna airport at 10.45am and depart at 11.15am.
Sources in IndiGo claimed that the airlines is expected to add new flights on the Delhi-Patna sector from March. The flight is likely to depart from Patna airport at 4.30pm.
GoAir sources, on the other hand, said the airlines had not cancelled any of its four flights operating from Patna airport under its winter schedule.
'Our winter is expected to conclude in the last week of March. Apart from minor changes in the timings of all the four flights operating from Patna, there is no major change proposed in the summer schedule,' said an executive of GoAir at Patna airport.
