IndiGo Airlines has formally announced its arrival in Patna. Its services would be launched from July 4, connecting Patna with Mumbai and Bangalore as well as Kolkata, Lucknow and Delhi.The absence of direct air connectivity for Bangalore and Mumbai was causing hardship, undue financial stress and discomfort to Bihari professionals and students who desperately needed this connectivity.

I seriously hope that this flight connectivity will bring much needed relief to many of us who have been paying for double tickets to reach Patna due to lack of single ticket travel option upto Patna. We would end up paying for tickets to Delhi or Kolkata due to lack of a single flight with Patna as end destination.

While the Bangalore flight from Patna would go via Kolkata, that to Mumbai via Lucknow and Delhi. The Patna-Bangalore flight will take off at 6.20 pm and, after hopping at Kolkata, would reach Bangalore at 10.35 pm. The Bangalore-Patna flight will leave Bangalore at 6.50 am to reach Patna at 11.05 am, after hopping at Kolkata.

The Patna-Mumbai flight would leave Patna at 11.35 am and, after hopping at Lucknow and Delhi, would reach Mumbai at 4.50 pm. The Mumbai-Patna flight, on the other hand, would leave Mumbai at 12.20 pm and would reach Patna via Delhi and Lucknow at 5.50 pm.