Patna, Aug. 1: The city’s residents now have another option to travel to Mumbai.

Jet Airways has started a new service on the Mumbai-Patna route from today.

Jet Airways sources said the Patna-bound flight (S2-102) will leave from Mumbai at 10.40am to reach Delhi two hours later. After a 40-minute halt, the flight will leave Delhi at 1.20pm to reach Patna at 2.50pm.

The Mumbai-bound flight (S2-109) will leave Patna at 7.30pm to reach Delhi at 9.05pm. After a 40-minute stop at Delhi airport, it will reach Mumbai at 11.45pm.

According to Jet Airways sources, the new service has started from today on a trial basis till October 29. Jet Airways already operates a Mumbai-Ranchi-Patna-Mumbai flight that takes off from Patna airport at 10.10am to reach Mumbai at 12.30pm. At present, with this new Mumbai-Patna route, the number of flights everyday between the two cities has gone up to seven. While Jet Airways has three flights, IndiGo has two flights and GoAir and Kingfisher have one each.

The sources, however, clarified the Mumbai-Patna-Mumbai flights that started from today are not new but extensions of a Patna-Delhi-Patna flight already in operation. The Patna-Delhi flight, which was earlier scheduled to leave Patna at 1.20pm, will now depart at 3.20pm to reach Delhi at 4.50pm.

Fliers on their way to the national capital and back are, however, short of an option, as Air India has decided to withdraw one of its three Delhi-bound flights from August 2.

Sources said the airline’s afternoon flight — AI 407/408 —has been temporarily withdrawn till September 15 because of operational reasons. This flight, which was scheduled to leave Patna airport at 1.50pm, used to reach Delhi at 3.30pm.