Bihar's Darbhanga airport begins operation in connectivity boost for Mithila region

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    Darbhanga, Nov 8 (PTI) The Darbhanga airport in north
Bihar began operations on Sunday, meeting the long-standing
demand of the people of the Mithila region who had to travel
for hours to Patna to catch a flight.
    As the first flight, operated by Spicejet, landed at
the airport from Bengaluru, it was given the customary water
salute, while the passengers were greeted with 'Mithila Paags'
(a traditional cap) and garlands.
    The plane then took off for Delhi with 180 passengers,
including Darbhanga's BJP MP Gopaljee Thakur, Darbhanga Town
legislator Sanjay Saraogi and MLC Dilip Chaudhary.
    Darbhanga will be connected by flights to Delhi,
Mumbai and Bengaluru, officials said.
    People of the region will save at least four-five
hours travelling to and from Patna with the airport beginning
operations, they said.
    "It is really a good beginning. Hope that
infrastructure and other facilities at the airport will
improve and flight service to other cities will also start,"
said a passenger who arrived from Bengaluru.
    A person, who had come to see off a relative at the
airport, said that with the airport starting operations,
people will not have to miss flights due to traffic jams while
travelling to Patna.
    "There were times when we used to get stuck at the
Gandhi Setu due to traffic jams. Also, now we won't have to
travel to Patna to receive someone or to see them off," he
said.
    With a lump in his throat, a man who was at the
airport to receive his daughter said, "Today, I will be
receiving her in my hometown."
    The Airports Authority of India has developed the
airport as a civil enclave, which is part of an Indian Air
Force base allocated for civil aviation operations, at Kevti,
around six km from the Darbhanga town.
    The foundation stone for the Darbhanga airport, the
third in the state after Patna and Gaya, was laid in December
2018.
    The flights will be operated by Spicejet under
regional connectivity scheme 'Udan'.
    Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had
announced in September that the airport will begin operations
in the first week of November ahead of Chhath.
    The terminal building of the airport has a capacity to
handle 150 passengers, he had said.
    Thakur, the local MP, said, "People of the Mithila
region are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for
starting flight service from Darbhanga. I also thank the civil
aviation minister who began the operations before Chhath
Puja." PTI CORR AR SNS
SOM SOM

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)