Patna, Nov. 20: With Kingfisher Airlines suspending one of its flights operating from the state capital from today, fliers, particularly those who take the aerial route frequently, have to reschedule their programmes.

Struggling to cope with its financial crisis, the Vijay Mallya-owned airlines has decided to stop the Delhi-Ranchi-Patna-Ranchi-Delhi flig-ht number IT 3347 for the time being.

A senior Kingfisher Airlines official told The Telegraph that the suspension would be in effect till December 15.

He added: “We have been intimated that the operation of flight IT-3347 will remain suspended with effect from today till December 15. This is because of the routine maintenance work of our aircraft. We expect the flight to resume operation from December 16.”

However, sources in the airlines said the flight’s fate beyond the period “is uncertain”. The sources claimed that the suspension was “a direct consequence” of the financial crisis in the airlines.

A source said: “Though it has been announced that the flight will be suspended till December 15, the resumption of its operation depends on how early the airlines recovers from the ongoing crisis,” a source said.

Several employees with the airlines said the cash crunch has also hit them hard. “Their seems to be a temporary delay in the release of salaries of Kingfisher employees for October. The salary, which usually arrives between the seventh or tenth day of a month, is now expected to arrive between November 21 and 25,” a public relations executive of Kingfisher airlines told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai.

Passengers on this route have given a cold response on the withdrawal of the flight.

“The service of Kingfisher Airlines on the Patna sector is similar to that of any other low-cost airline. Kingfisher seems to be affected by some problem or the other quite frequently. Issues related to fuel and airport rental keep cropping up,” said Sachin Chandra, a resident of Frazer Road.

He added that the cancellation would put additional pressure on the other flights operating from Patna airport.

Aviation experts, however, claimed that the suspension of Kingfisher’s flight was not likely to affect passengers’ who travel on this route.

A source said: “The situation is common in the aviation sector. Indigo is going to launch a flight on Patna-Delhi route from December 1. Indigo’s new flight, 6E-247/248, will operate on Delhi-Patna-Delhi route and it will arrive at Patna airport at 8pm and depart at 8.30 pm.”

Safety week

Patna Airport Authority would observe six-day aviation safety week between November 21 and 25. “According to the guidelines of Airport Authority of India, most airports are observing the aviation safety week. Even we would observe the same from November 21 to 25,” said Arvind Dubey, the director of Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport.

Flight rescheduled

Air India has rescheduled the operation of its morning flight — AI-408 from Patna airport — with effect from November 21. Against its present scheduled departure from Indira Gandhi International Airport at 6.35am, the flight would leave the national capital at 8.50am. the flight would arrive at 10.30am instead of the exiting 8.10am from tomorrow.