Severe fog conditions across northern India brought air travel to a grinding halt at Patna's Jayprakash Narayan International Airport on Monday. The persistent dense fog led to significant operational disruptions, leaving numerous passengers stranded and forcing major airlines to cancel a series of flights.
Widespread Flight Cancellations Cause Chaos
The low visibility had an immediate impact on flight schedules. IndiGo cancelled several key operations, including its Delhi-Patna-Delhi services on flight numbers 6E-5104/2134 and 6E-2373/6389. The airline also scrapped its Ranchi-bound service (6E-6902/925) and the Bhubaneswar-Patna-Chandigarh route (6E-6485/6394). Air India joined in the cancellations, grounding its Delhi-Patna-Delhi round-trip flight (AI-2523/2524).
This local disruption was part of a larger national crisis in the aviation sector triggered by the fog. IndiGo alone was forced to ground approximately 80 flights across the country due to the dangerous visibility conditions.
Passenger Frustration Mounts Amid Uncertainty
Travelers at the airport faced long, anxious waits and considerable inconvenience as incoming flights were delayed and outgoing services remained grounded. The airport's director, Chandra Pratap Dwivedi, confirmed the cancellation of five flights from Patna. He stated that the concerned airlines would make alternate arrangements for affected passengers and advised travelers to check their flight status via official airline apps and websites before heading to the airport.
Both IndiGo and Air India assured passengers of the available options, including refunds, rebooking, or compensation as per regulatory guidelines. However, this did little to assuage the frustration of many flyers whose travel plans were thrown into disarray.
One passenger, Paakhi, who was traveling to Delhi, expressed her dismay on social media platform X. She pointed out that while other airlines were operating, IndiGo cancelled her flight citing weather. She highlighted the cascading financial impact, questioning if the airline would also compensate for her missed onward journey from Delhi.
Another traveler, Junaid, shared his ordeal of facing repeated cancellations. His Darbhanga-Riyadh flight via Delhi was cancelled on December 26, and his Patna-Riyadh flight via Delhi met the same fate on Monday, causing him serious trouble.
Gradual Return to Normalcy Expected
The fog-related disruption created a cascading effect, impacting not just Patna but other regional airports as well. Officials have indicated that air services are likely to normalize gradually as the weather conditions improve. However, they have cautioned that further delays cannot be ruled out in the immediate term. Passengers are strongly recommended to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest updates before commencing their journey to the airport.
