Purnea Airport sees record footfall during the first two- and- a- half month
Purnea Airport sees over 53,000 passengers since September's reopening, with November as the peak month. Expansion plans and new routes are underway.
Purnea Airport has witnessed a record passenger footfall in the first two-and-a-half months after the resumption of commercial flight operations following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 15 this year.
According to data shared by airport director Deep Prakash Gupta, more than 53,276 passengers used air services at Purnea Airport between September 15 and December 12, including 26,695 arrivals and 26,581 departures. During the same period, the airport recorded over 550 flight movements.
Month-wise data show that November emerged as the best-performing month, with a record 30,094 passengers. In October, passenger footfall stood at 11,337, while 2,718 passengers used flight services in September (from September 15).
“Passenger footfall has already crossed 8,000 till December 12 this month, and we are hopeful of setting another record in December,” Gupta said.
Expressing satisfaction over the steady rise in passenger numbers, the airport director said that the festive rush, particularly around Chhath, led to near-full aircraft, reflecting strong passenger demand. He added that airlines have introduced new routes, including daily flights to Delhi and Hyderabad by IndiGo, and services to Kolkata and Ahmedabad by Star Air.
Gupta further said that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken up major expansion work at the airport, including the development of a new civil enclave, which is expected to be completed by 2026.
With the sustained increase in passenger footfall, Purnea Airport has emerged as a key transport hub in Bihar and holds potential for future expansion, airport sources said. They added that new flight services to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Guwahati are expected to commence in the New Year.
Purnea district magistrate Anshul Kumar has constituted a committee of senior officials to facilitate improved road connectivity to the airport. The district magistrate has directed the executive engineer of the road division to submit a detailed survey report outlining the proposed linkage with NH-31.
The DM also instructed officials to provide all necessary data for the acquisition of 15.09 acres of land required for the approach lighting system, with further action subject to approval from the ministry of defence. Coordination with Chunapur Air Force Station at the station commander level has also been mandated.
“We hope the issues will be resolved soon,” said Vijay Kumar Shrivastava, a social activist who has been campaigning for the development of Purnea Airport since 2014. Calling the approach lighting system a key hurdle in the airport’s growth, he said the consistent rise in passenger footfall has proved the airport’s relevance for Bihar’s Seemanchal region.
Shrivastava also demanded the introduction of a night-landing facility at the airport, stating that it would further boost passenger traffic.
Airport sources said that upgrading facilities such as night-landing infrastructure is a continuous process based on traffic demand, commercial viability and airline interest, adding that such facilities may be introduced in the future.
The first flight service between Purnea and then Calcutta (now Kolkata) was introduced in 1956, but was discontinued the same year. In 1963, the Chunapur Air Force Station was established in the wake of the 1962 Chinese aggression.
Civilian air services resumed in 1976, only to be discontinued again in 1978. In 2012, at the initiative of the then wing commander of Chunapur Air Force Station, Vishwajeet Kumar, commercial flights connecting Purnea with Patna and Kolkata were launched. However, the services were discontinued once again in 2013.
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