Patna: More than a year after Patna airport began operations from its new integrated terminal, passenger traffic and flight movement have shown little improvement, according to the latest Airports Authority of India data.Patna handled 4,09,710 domestic passengers in May 2026, only 1,777 more than the 4,07,933 recorded in the same month last year. Passenger traffic during April and May, however, declined by 3.9%, from 7,99,213 last year to 7,67,728 this year.Aircraft movement also fell. The airport recorded 2,616 domestic aircraft movements in May against 2,755 in May 2025, a decline of 5%. For the April-May period, flight operations dropped by 4.6%.The figures are significant because the new terminal, commissioned in June 2025, increased the airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity from 30 lakh to one crore and was expected to ease congestion and boost flight frequencies.Civil aviation department secretary Nilesh Ramchandra Deore said the larger terminal should not automatically be linked to higher traffic.“New airports such as Purnia have become operational, while airlines have expanded services from Gaya and Darbhanga, giving passengers more travel options,” he said.
