# Jay Prakash Narayan Airport

Jay Prakash Narayan Airport (IATA: PAT, ICAO: VEPT) is an domestic airport serving Patna, the capital of Bihar, India. It is named after the independence activist and political leader, Jayprakash Narayan. It is the 15th busiest airport in India. 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 April 2025.

## Overview

The airport currently has one runway with an asphalt surface measuring 2,072 by 45 metres (6,798 ft × 148 ft), 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.
The airport's international air service to Nepal has been closed since the Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked and taken to Kandahar on 24 December 1999. Since then, the airport does not handle any international operations. The airport is enabled with Digi Yatra facility since July 2024, so that passengers travelling from the airport can avail it for seamless check-in experience and save their time.

## Future expansion

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 a new terminal has been under construction since October 2018, at a cost of ₹ 12.17 billion (US$152 million). 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 five aerobridges, and the apron will be able to handle 14 (11 code C and 3 ATR 72 type) 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 were demolished, and utility buildings like the meteorological centre and Bihar Flying Club were 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 2024, more than 85% of work has been completed, and is expected to be completed by May 2025.
The AAI has planned to develop a civil enclave at the Bihta Air Force Station, 20 km (12 mi) 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.

## Airlines and destinations

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air India | Delhi, Mumbai |
| Air India Express | Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai (begins 30 March 2025), Delhi (begins 30 March 2025), Goa–Mopa (begins 14 April 2025), Hyderabad, Kolkata |
| IndiGo | Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Ranchi |
| SpiceJet | Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai |

## Statistics

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. Aircraft movements are currently at 25,501 which also has increased by 18.2% since previous years. Between 2021-22 the Patna Airport also handled 12,409 metric tonnes of cargo which also increased by 4.6% from the previous years. 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 (2011-2024)
| Year | Passengers | Change | Aircraft Movement | Change | Cargo (MT) | Change |
| 2023–24 | 3,440,450 | 8.2% | 23,740 | 15% | 9,165 | 20.8% |
| 2022–23 | 3,748,635 | 26.3% | 27,931 | 9.5% | 11,571 | 6.8% |
| 2021–22 | 2,967,681 | 9.5% | 25,501 | 18.2% | 12,409 | 4.6% |
| 2020–21 | 2,710,000 | 40.1% | 21,572 | 30.3% | 11,859 | 3.2% |
| 2019–20 | 4,525,765 | 11.4% | 30,959 | 10.2% | 12,249 | 7.1% |
| 2018–19 | 4,061,900 | 30.6% | 28,087 | 28.2% | 11,435 | 66.2% |
| 2017–18 | 3,111,273 | 47.3% | 21,916 | 41.3% | 6,879 | 4.4% |
| 2016–17 | 2,112,150 | 33.3% | 15,508 | 11.2% | 6,591 | 49.3% |
| 2015–16 | 1,584,013 | 32.4% | 13,947 | 26.1% | 4,414 | 15.1% |
| 2014–15 | 1,196,540 | 14.5% | 11,060 | 11.5% | 5,198 | 7.2% |
| 2013–14 | 1,044,127 | 4.1% | 9,902 | 0.7% | 4,849 | 115.4% |
| 2012–13 | 1,003,169 | 1.8% | 9,972 | 3.8% | 2,251 | 34.3% |
| 2011–12 | 1,021,544 | 21.8% | 10,369 | 8.6% | 3,425 | 4.5% |

## Accidents and incidents

* On 17 July 2000, Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed near the airport, killing 60 people.
* On 19 June 2022, SpiceJet Boeing 737 flight SG723 with 185 passengers on-board made an emergency landing at Patna Airport after one of its engines caught fire in a suspected bird hit.