• Source:JND
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On the first day of the monsoon session in the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Dr Bhim Singh raised the issue of starting direct international flight services from Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan Airport. Addressing Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Dr Singh questioned why the airport is referred to as an “international” facility despite lacking any direct international flight operations.

In response, Minister Naidu clarified that while Patna Airport is a customs-notified airport, no scheduled direct international flights are currently operating from there. However, he highlighted that the government has created a conducive environment for civil aviation growth and that Patna Airport is among 18 tourist gateway destinations in India from where airlines are permitted to operate unlimited flights to five SAARC nations—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka—as well as 10 ASEAN countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

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The minister added that under bilateral Air Services Agreements, Indian carriers are allowed to operate flights to Gulf and Southeast Asian nations from any international airport, including Patna. 

He also emphasised that launching such operations depends on the economic viability and commercial assessment by the airlines. Expressing gratitude, Dr Singh acknowledged the recent infrastructural developments at Patna Airport, which have significantly enhanced passenger amenities.

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The Minister further urged the central government to conduct a thorough commercial feasibility study for initiating direct international flight services to the Gulf and Southeast Asia, considering Bihar’s substantial migrant population and their growing travel needs.