Patna: Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna achieved a key milestone with the full operationalisation of all five passenger boarding bridges (aerobridges) at its new integrated terminal building. The fourth and fifth aerobridges were commissioned with effect from Jan 31, following approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).This marked the completion of the phased rollout of the five aerobridges planned for the modern terminal, which has been progressively enhanced to manage the growing air traffic at Bihar’s busiest airport.The fourth passenger boarding bridge (Aerobridge-4) was inaugurated with Air India flight AI-1746 from Delhi to Patna. The aircraft arrived at parking bay number 10 with 178 passengers on board and connected seamlessly to boarding gate number 12. The return flight, AI-1819 from Patna to Delhi, departed with 177 passengers, marking a smooth start for the new facility.Similarly, the fifth passenger boarding bridge began operations with IndiGo flight 6E-6549 from Delhi to Patna, arriving at bay number 6 with 175 passengers and linking to boarding gate number 12A. The return flight, 6E-6550 from Patna to Delhi, carried 178 passengers, confirming the successful commissioning of the fifth bridge.Airport director Chandra Pratap Dwivedi said, “With all five aerobridges now fully functional, the airport can offer direct, weather-protected access from the terminal to aircraft for more flights. This upgrade is expected to significantly streamline passenger movement, reduce boarding and deboarding times, improve crowd management inside the terminal and enhance the overall travel experience, particularly beneficial for families, senior citizens and passengers with reduced mobility.”
