Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna suffered an unexpected outage in its Instrument Landing System on 30 December, compounding dense fog and forcing a full suspension of operations for almost nine hours. Fifty-four domestic flights were affected, with some aircraft diverted as far as Kolkata and Ranchi before fuel reserves ran low.
Technicians traced the fault to a power surge that damaged the glide-path antenna; a mobile ILS had to be flown in from Kolkata. Airlines bussed hundreds of passengers 110 km to Gaya to board alternative services, while hotel lobbies overflowed with stranded travellers.
The disruption hit corporates hard: Patna is a critical spoke for FMCG and fertiliser firms with plants across Bihar. One Singapore-based executive lost a full production-ramp meeting, while travel-management companies estimate direct losses of ₹8 crore in re-booking fees and missed connections.
![Patna airport’s nine-hour shutdown after navigation-aid failure strands 6,000 travellers]()
Travellers scrambling to re-route—sometimes through international hubs like Kathmandu or Dhaka—often need last-minute visa clearances. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can fast-track those documents, offering real-time requirements, digital submissions, and concierge support so corporate and leisure passengers can switch itineraries without losing additional time or money.
The incident revives calls for a second runway and CAT-III infrastructure at one of India’s most delay-prone airports. State officials say a proposal for a green-field facility at Bihta is awaiting central clearance; until then, airlines warn, Patna will remain “one fog-bank away” from paralysis.
For mobility planners the takeaway is to avoid tight same-day connections through secondary Indian airports during winter and to brief travellers on contingency ground-transport options.
Technicians traced the fault to a power surge that damaged the glide-path antenna; a mobile ILS had to be flown in from Kolkata. Airlines bussed hundreds of passengers 110 km to Gaya to board alternative services, while hotel lobbies overflowed with stranded travellers.
The disruption hit corporates hard: Patna is a critical spoke for FMCG and fertiliser firms with plants across Bihar. One Singapore-based executive lost a full production-ramp meeting, while travel-management companies estimate direct losses of ₹8 crore in re-booking fees and missed connections.
Travellers scrambling to re-route—sometimes through international hubs like Kathmandu or Dhaka—often need last-minute visa clearances. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can fast-track those documents, offering real-time requirements, digital submissions, and concierge support so corporate and leisure passengers can switch itineraries without losing additional time or money.
The incident revives calls for a second runway and CAT-III infrastructure at one of India’s most delay-prone airports. State officials say a proposal for a green-field facility at Bihta is awaiting central clearance; until then, airlines warn, Patna will remain “one fog-bank away” from paralysis.
For mobility planners the takeaway is to avoid tight same-day connections through secondary Indian airports during winter and to brief travellers on contingency ground-transport options.
