Patna Airport, popularly known as Jaiprakash Narayan Airport is located 5km southwest of Patna, the capital city of Bihar in India. The Patna airport is also known as "Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Airport". It was built in 1973 and it runs various flights all over India. According to the statistics released by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), it is the 21st busiest airport in India. It runs both domestic as well as international flights and domestic traffic is growing rapidly. As domestic traffic is growing rapidly by time, this airport serves well in terms of passenger load and domestic flight plans as it covers majorly the North Indian parts. It is classified as a Restricted International Airport by AAI. Due to a lots of development work in Bihar, the AAI has planned to open a new International airport in Bihta near Patna. Patna airport has international flight facility but it is now used for private jets and cargo airlines as for time being it is under refurbishment. The Cargo Terminal is used to import and export goods from various cities of India. Cargo bay has an in-built customs centre which checks all the goods that comes in. Patna airport bagged an award for having the best fire station in eastern region by the Airport Authority of India.
Facilities at Patna Airport
The airport covers an area of 254 acres and resides at an elevation of 170 feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 07/25 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,954 m by 45 m.
Apart from these, the airport provides several refreshment facilities to the passengers. Baggage services are provided by the airport authority to their customers free of cost. There are various shops from where you can buy basic amenities like books, newspapers etc. Also, there are various eateries and restaurants to serve delicious food. There are various duty free shops available on Patna Airport which provides stuff for free.
Connectivity to Patna Airport
Private taxis are available for hire. Recently, prepaid auto services started which is operated by an all-women crew. The nearest bus stand to Patna Airport is 7km away in Mithapur. One can avail several buses to every local places of the city. The closest Indian Railways station is Patna Junction. In vicinity is the newly built Patliputra Junction.
Incidents at Patna Airport
On 17 July 2000, Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed near the airport, killing 60 people.