| Jay Prakash Narayan Airport | |
| Iata: | PAT |
| Icao: | VEPT |
| Pushpin Map: | India Patna#Bihar#India#Asia |
| Pushpin Label: | PAT |
| Type: | Public |
| Owner: | Airports Authority of India |
| Operator: | Airports Authority of India |
| City-Served: | Patna, Bihar, India |
| Metric-Elev: | yes |
| Elevation-F: | 170 |
| Elevation-M: | 52 |
| Metric-Rwy: | y |
| R1-Number: | 07/25 |
| R1-Length-M: | 2072 |
| R1-Length-F: | 6798 |
| R1-Surface: | Asphalt |
| Stat1-Header: | Passengers |
| Stat1-Data: | 3,440,450 (8.2%) |
| Stat-Year: | April 2023 - March 2024 |
| Stat2-Header: | Aircraft movements |
| Stat2-Data: | 23,740 (15.0%) |
| Stat3-Header: | Cargo tonnage |
| Stat3-Data: | 9,165 (20.8%) |
| Footnotes: | Source: AAI[1] [2] [3] |
Jay Prakash Narayan Airport is an domestic airport serving Patna, the capital of Bihar, India.[4] It is named after the independence activist and political leader, Jayprakash Narayan.[5] It is the 15th busiest airport in India.[6] [7] To meet demand, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working to expand and modernise airport infrastructure. The airport is currently undergoing an ambitious expansion project that includes a new two-level passenger terminal, which will be completed by May 2024.[8] [9] Patna Airport is enabled with Digi Yatra facility from July 2024, passengers traveling from Patna Airport can avail it for seamless check-in experience and save their time.[10]
The airport currently has one runway with an asphalt surface measuring 2072mx45mm (6,798feetx148feetm),[11] [12] which makes it not possible for large aircraft to land. The terminal building at the airport is spread across an area of 12,000 square meters and can handle around 2.5 million passengers annually. The waiting areas, as well as departure and arrival areas of the terminal building, have also been expanded recently due to the rising amounts of passengers flying to the airport. Due to the surge in passenger traffic, a new terminal is under construction which will replace the existing terminal.[13]
It is worth mentioning that Patna airport's international air service to Nepal has been closed since the Delhi Kathmandu Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked and taken to Kandahar on 24 December 1999.[14] Since then, Patna airport has remained an international airport only in name.
Due to the sandwiching location between the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan and Phulwari Sharif railway station, the runway of the airport is too short to accommodate larger aircraft. Because of this, and the rising demand and passenger traffic, the present terminal will not be able to cope with it. So, a new terminal is under construction since October 2018, at a cost of ₹ 12.17 billion (US$1.52 billion). It will have an area of 65,155 sq.m. (previously proposed as 57,000 sq.m.) from 7,200 sq.m. at present, with six aerobridges, and the apron will be able to handle 14 aircraft, which at present can handle only six aircraft. The existing Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower will be demolished once the new tower adjacent to Birla Institute of Technology, Patna campus, becomes operational. The interior design of the terminal will mostly be inspired by Madhubani art, which is a renowned traditional art form of Bihar, and the ruins of the Nalanda University. The design was created by the Singapore-based firm, Meinhardt and is being executed by the Hyderabad-based firm, Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited (NCC). It will be able to serve more than 8 million passengers per year (previously proposed as 4.5 million), as compared to only around 3 million passengers per year at present. Around 13.1 acres of land near the airport is used for its construction, and in lieu of 11.35 acres of land in Anisabad, the airport will be transferred to the Government of Bihar by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), once the expansion works are completed. The area where the terminal is being built had several buildings, which included the Airport Colony and the IAS Bhavan, which are demolished, and utility buildings like the meteorological centre and Bihar Flying Club have been shifted. Once completed, the existing terminal will be demolished to make way for the expansion and revamping of the apron. The new terminal was expected be completed by 2021, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused lack of labour and resulted in many delays, it was supposed to be completed by the end of 2023. As of December 2023, more than 70% of work has been completed, and is expected to be completed by May 2024.[15]
The AAI has planned to develop a civil enclave at the Bihta Air Force Station, away from Patna, to cater larger aircraft. In October 2016, The Cabinet of Bihar approved the Patna Master Plan, which envisages development of a new passenger terminal at Bihta. The Government of Bihar is acquiring 126 acres of land for construction of the terminal.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [8] [9]
As of 2019-2020 data, Patna airport handled more than 4 million passengers which was the highest ever recorded at the airport before the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] Aircraft movements are currently at 25,501 which also has increased by 18.2% since previous years.[24] Between 2021-22 the Patna Airport also handled 12,409 metric tonnes of cargo which also increased by 4.6% from the previous years.[25] Patna Airport is currently the 14th busiest airport in India in terms of passengers catered by the airport.
Passenger, Aircraft Movement, and Cargo at Patna Airport (2011-2022)
| Year | Passengers | Change | Aircraft Movement | Change | Cargo (MT) | Change | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 2,967,681 | 9.5% | 25,501 | 18.2% | 12,409 | 4.6% | [26] |
| 2020–21 | 2,710,000 | 40.1% | 21,572 | 30.3% | 11,859 | 3.2% | [27] |
| 2019–20 | 4,525,765 | 11.4% | 30,959 | 10.2% | 12,249 | 7.1% | [28] |
| 2018–19 | 4,061,900 | 30.6% | 28,087 | 28.2% | 11,435 | 66.2% | [29] |
| 2017–18 | 3,111,273 | 47.3% | 21,916 | 41.3% | 6,879 | 4.4% | [30] |
| 2016–17 | 2,112,150 | 33.3% | 15,508 | 11.2% | 6,591 | 49.3% | [31] |
| 2015–16 | 1,584,013 | 32.4% | 13,947 | 26.1% | 4,414 | 15.1% | [32] |
| 2014–15 | 1,196,540 | 14.5% | 11,060 | 11.5% | 5,198 | 7.2% | [33] |
| 2013–14 | 1,044,127 | 4.1% | 9,902 | 0.7% | 4,849 | 115.4% | [34] |
| 2012–13 | 1,003,169 | 1.8% | 9,972 | 3.8% | 2,251 | 34.3% | [35] |
| 2011–12 | 1,021,544 | 21.8% | 10,369 | 8.6% | 3,425 | 4.5% | [36] |