Mumbai06 Dec 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Patna
About Patna
Patna is yet another city that is located along the banks of the river Ganges. It is also the capital of Bihar. The city is not only a popular tourist destination but also has spiritual significance. There are pilgrimage sites for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, too. It was earlier called as Pataliputra and also had quite a few monuments to its credit. It is a blend of modernization and a glorious past. The Gandhi Ghat is a very popular tourist spot here since the ashes of late Mahatma Gandhi were also immersed here. The Ganga aarti performed here is also one of the highlights of the city.
Best Time to Visit Patna
Like a lot of other cities in India, the best time to visit Patna is also winter. The summer here is extremely hot and the monsoon unfavourable. The city witnesses winter from December to March. This temperature ranges from 12 to 32 degree Celsius during these months, and it is also the most ideal time to go sightseeing. The end of November and the seventh day after Diwali has people of Bihar performing the Chhath Puja. This is also a peak travel time to Patna. Since it is peak travel season, you can find great flight deals to Patna online. Make sure you book your hotel in Patna well in advance. You will also find quite a lot of tour packages during winter and at affordable prices.
July to September is when the city witnesses monsoon. The rainfall is quite irregular in the city, and the temperature reaches up to a maximum of 28 degree Celsius. The city looks beautiful during monsoon, and while it is a pleasant time to visit the city, it might affect your plans to go sightseeing. However, since it is off-season, you might get cheap flight tickets to Patna.
The temperature often soars up to a maximum of 41 degree Celsius during summer. Patna experiences summer from March to June. The heat is so bad that you will get tired and exhausted from sightseeing or even venturing outside soon. Since there are also not that many festivals celebrated during this time, it is not the best time to experience the rich culture and traditions of the city. If you do plan a trip to Patna during summer, make sure you are well-hydrated.
Places to Visit in Patna
Gandhi Ghat is a major tourist attraction in Patna. It is majorly popular because late Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in the ghat here, which is also how it got its name. Another major highlight of this ghat is the Ganga aarti that happens in the evening. You'll see approximately 51 lighted lamps held by priests while performing the aarti. It is the most beautiful sight. Patna also has the Bihar Museum for the history geek in you and Patna Planetarium for the ones interested in astronomy. You will have to pay a nominal fee to get into both the places, but it will be totally worth it. You can also visit the Patna Museum, also called Jadu Ghar, which has Indian artefacts that date back to the middle ages and the British Colonial Era. You can visit the Patna Sahib Gurudwara that was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh since Patna is also Guru Gobind Singh Ji's birthplace.
The Srikrishna Science Centre is the perfect place for you to take your kids. The Japanese Peace Pagoda is another tourist spot you must visit. It is a 125 feet tall statue that was built by the Buddh Vihar Society. It is also surrounded by greenery, which makes it a pleasant place to go to in Patna. You can also visit the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan. It is a botanical garden that was established in 1969, and it is also a zoo. If you are here with your kids, you can also treat them to a toy train ride. Golghar, which is in the heart of the city, was constructed in 1786 by Captain John Garstin and was initially used as a storehouse. If you want to enjoy your solitude and soak in the beautiful scenic view of the city, this is the best place to go to. The Patan Devi Mandir is also a popular place in Patna. Dedicated to Goddess Maa Patneshwari, it is one of the oldest and a sacred place in the city. Locals also believe that the name of the city was derived from the Goddess' name. Chhoti Dargah is another historical site that you must not miss. The 3-storeyed mausoleum is where Makhdum Shah was buried in 1616. It is a popular tourist spot and a place of worship for Muslims.
Things to do in Patna
Patna was earlier called Patalipura and came into existence in the 5th century. While this may not be the best place for adventure lovers, it is apt for a fun, family vacation. You can either hire a taxi to go sightseeing around the city or use the public transport. Golghar is an architectural marvel in Patna. The dome structure was built by Captain John Garstin in 1786. It was used as a granary for the British Army but has now become a historical site. You climb up the spiral stairs inside the Golghar, and you will be treated to a scenic view of the city. Since Patna has a lot of temples, you can also add visiting those in your itinerary. The Sree Patna Sahib Gurudwara is also an important place of worship. You can sit here and meditate for a while after offering your prayers. You can also go to the Pataneshwari temple, dedicated to Goddess Maa Patan Devi.
You must also visit the ruins of Nalanda University. The university was established and run by Buddhist monks and had at least 10,000 students. It was also hosted by Buddha Siddhartha himself. It is about 80 km away from the main city of Patna, and even though it is in ruins, you will enjoy the tranquillity here. Visit the Gandhi Ghat and go boating here. Catch the beautiful sunset while you are boating here. Take an artistic piece of Patna back home with you. Stop by at Ajanta on Fraser Road to buy some genuine Madhubani paintings. The city also has a lot of shopping malls for you to please the shopaholic in you.
Food and Restaurants in Patna
You will mostly only find restaurants and stalls that serve vegetarian food in Patna. Not that you won't find any restaurant that serves non-vegetarian food. You will also get to satisfy your chicken, mutton or seafood cravings here. Litti Chokha is one of the most popular delicacies that you get here. The city is also popular for its desserts and snacks like Gujjia, Kesar Peda, Malpua, Chana Ghugni, Jhaal Mudi, Choora, etc. The street food is just as good as the dine-in restaurants. You will also find restaurants that serve Bengali, North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines in Patna.
Takshila is one of the most popular restaurants in the city that is within hotel Chanakya. You will absolutely love the Mughlai, Afghan and Tandoori food in this restaurant. Biryani Mahal is another very popular restaurant in the city, so much that you will either have to wait in a long queue to get a decent table or book one in advance. It's not a very big joint, but the food will leave you satiated. Basant Vihar is popular for its paneer cutlets and veg curries. You might have to wait a tad bit to get a table on weekends, but otherwise, you will have a smooth experience here. The city also has popular franchises like Pind Balluchi and Mainland China that serve delicious food with a great ambience. The dine-in experience and the local street food both will make sure that you leave the city happy.
How to reach Patna
By Air
The Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, also called the Patna Airport, is the nearest airport in Patna that has both domestic and international terminals. The flight connectivity from Patna to other major domestic cities is excellent and quite frequent, too. While there are a lot of direct flights to Patna from major cities, connecting flights from Delhi, Bangalore, Varanasi and Lucknow are popular routes to Patna by air. Direct flights will only take about 2.5-3 hours to land in Patna, depending on which city you board the flight from to get here.
By Rail
Patna is connected to major cities in the country like Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Varanasi, Bangalore, Chennai and Amritsar. Not only express trains, but you will also get super fast trains to and from Patna. It is advisable that you make your ticket bookings to Patna in advance to avoid any last-minute inconveniences.
By Road
NH31 connects Patna to other cities. You will also find a lot of private and government-run buses or taxis from nearby cities that will help you reach Patna or leave from here. Though the bus services are frequent and it is also a far cheaper way to travel, taking a train or a flight would be more convenient than anything else.
About Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways Limited is the national flag carrier of Australia and is recognised as the largest airline in the country with respect to international route connectivity and fleet size. The airline is the third oldest in the world following KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Avianca. It was founded in 1920 and completes 100 years in the aviation industry in 2020. The airline commenced its international operations for passengers in 1935. The name Qantas is an acronym which stands for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". It has also been nicknamed as "The Flying Kangaroo" in the aviation industry. Qantas is one of the main founding members of the Oneworld airline alliance. Based out of Sydney's suburb of Mascot, the airline is adjacent to its main hub at Sydney Airport. In 2014, the airline owned 65 percent of the shares in the Australian domestic market while carrying about 14.9 percent of passengers travelling to and from Australia. Qantas as a slew of subsidiary airlines that operate predominantly in the regional market and on some trunk routes (or domestic routes) prevalent in Australia. These airlines fall under the QantasLink banner.
The airline owns and operates one of the biggest low-cost airlines, Jetstar Airways, which caters to the domestic routes as well as international routes from Australia and New Zealand. Qantas has also invested in all the Jetstar-branded airlines and holds a higher stake in all of them. In 1998, along with British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and Canadian Airlines, Qantas also co-founded the Oneworld alliance. Eventually, several more airlines joined the airline alliance. Qantas' market share saw a brief dip with budget airline Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) entrance to cater to the domestic routes. Intending to compete with the budget airline, Qantas introduced their own version of budget carrier, Jetstar Airways, in 2001. The same year, with Jetstar Airways' creation, its competitor Ansett Australia collapsed. This led to a 90 per cent spike in Qantas' shares in the market. However, simultaneously, cut-throat competition with Virgin Australia also increased as the latter announced expansion plans.
Using the Jetstar subsidiary, Qantas has expanded tremendously in the aviation market catering to domestic routes in Australia and international routes majorly connecting Asian cities and New Zealand. Along with Jetstar Airways, the airline further announced similar modelled budget airlines such as Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Asia Airways. Qantas is known to have contributed tremendously to the aviation market with the constant creation of various subsidiary airlines. While many failed to take off the way the airline intended them to, that hasn't stopped the parent airline from establishing newer subsidiaries. Some of the famous airline subsidiaries introduced by Qantas include QantasLink, Australia Asia Airlines, Jetstar Airways, Impulse Airlines, Jetconnect, Australian Airlines and Qantas freight as well. During its years as one of the oldest airline, Qantas has seen all sides of the financial scenarios from losses to profits. There was a brief period in the illustrious history of Qantas when the airline reported losses. This resulted in downgrading sources, facilities, fleet and even staff. After suffering from some losses, the airline returned to its profit-making structure in 2015. Further, the airline also sold off its lease of Sydney Airport's Terminal 3.
Fleet size of Qantas
Qantas Airways' fleet size as of 2020 stands at 126. The airline only has variant aircraft from the Airbus and Boeing family. The current fleet comprises aircraft such as 18 Airbus A330-200s, 10 Airbus A330-300s, 12 Airbus A380-800s, 75 Boeing 737-800s and 11 Boeing 787-9s. They have also ordered for additional three Boeing 787-9s. In 2012, the airline announced that they were cancelling their order of 35 Boeing 787-9s due to heavy losses incurred. However, they did hold on to the 15 aircraft Boeing 787-8s order to add to the Jetstar Airways' fleet. In 2015, the airline stated that they would be ordering eight Boeing 787-9s, delivery of the same was expected in 2017.
In 2019, the airline made quite a few orders and cancellations. At the Paris Air Show, Qantas Group stated that they would be converting their 26 Airbus A321neos to A321XLR variants. Similarly, they planned to make a few more conversions with their aircraft, including A321neos to A321LRs and A321XLRs. This led to Qantas Group to accommodate a total of 109 aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family. The same year, they also announced that a select few of their Airbus A350-1000 would be used as non-stop flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to connect to international destinations such as Paris, New York, Cape Town, Paris, Frankfurt and Rio de Janeiro.
Baggage Allowance
Qantas Group has a consolidated list of baggage allowance criteria that they have uploaded on their official website, along with a calculator. Passengers who are opting for Qantas Airways can learn more about their baggage allowance deals and whether it works in their favour. As per their policy, the airline accommodates about 50 kg and 40 kg weighing baggage from first class and business class passengers respectively. The weight could vary depending on whether the member is part of the airline's frequent flyer programme. Similarly, the airline allows 40 kg and 30 kg weight for passengers travelling from premium economy and economy class respectively.
The baggage allowance policy as mentioned here applies to all international routes of Qantas Airways except for North and South America. The dimension of the bags should all individually be not more than 158 cm. The same can be calculated using the airline's baggage calculator. Purchase of additional baggage is also allowed with weights that depend on the cabin class of the passenger or the ticket type. As for hand baggage, the airline allows business class passengers to carry one piece of baggage that should not weigh more than 10 kg and can be accommodated with an accessory bag. The dimension for the same should not be more than 115 cm.
In-flight services
Qantas' in-flight services have won several accolades and praise by commuters and critics for being one of the best in the world. They offer a series of facilities onboard starting from comfortable seating with personalised entertainment systems to delicious in-flight meals. The airline's in-flight staff are quite friendly and cater to the requirements of the passengers with a big smile on their faces. The aircraft also comes with premium class cabins to economy class cabins that enable travellers from all walks of life to journey together.
Popular routes and top cities for Qantas
Qantas is one of the few international airlines to operate charters to Antarctica and does the same on behalf of Croydon Travel. The first flightseeing trip to Antarctica took place in 1977. However, the services were suspended for many years due to a crash of the New Zealand Flight 901. Eventually, in 1994, Qnatast restarted flightseeing charters to the continent. Qantas has a slew of operations to various international routes and domestic routes that make it one of the largest in the continent and also in the world. Over the years, the airline has introduced various popular routes from Sydney to North America, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and more. The airline brought forth a non-stop service from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth in 2014, which is operated by Airbus A380. Some of its top international destinations include Hong Kong, Denpasar, Jakarta, Tokyo, Osaka, Auckland, Queenstown, Christchurch, Singapore, Bangkok, London, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City - JFK and San Francisco. They have terminated a huge list of international destinations, following the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline has also signed some agreements and tie-ups with international airlines to accommodate more international routes. Some of its codeshare agreements are with airlines such as Air France, Alaska Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Jetstar Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Air Niugini, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Jetstar Japan, Vietnam Airlines and more.
Why travel by Qantas?
Qantas Airways is a known brand that has been offering the best of airline facilities as well as in-flight services for nearly 100 years now. It has expanded tremendously in recent years by accommodating some convenient facilities such as web check-ins, receiving flight status, booking a Qantas flight online or by their mobile app and to know more about their baggage allowance. In fact, you can even purchase extra baggage through their app and keep all flight-related details on the phone. The mobile app also has details of Qantas flight schedules that would help the passenger plan out the journey with more convenience. Further, the airline has also tied up with international airlines to bring forth better frequent flyer programmes that would benefit their regular customers. Qantas has also included newer routes and destinations both, domestic and international, to ensure better connectivity. The fleet size of Qantas has also enhanced to accommodate better aircraft that would cater to world-class facilities and amenities in-flight and give passengers the experience of a lifetime.
About Patna Airport
Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is predominantly a customs airport with restricted international operations. The airport is located in Patna, the state capital of Bihar. The airport's name came from independence activist, Jayaprakash Narayan. The airport's runway is quite short and cannot accommodate heavy aircraft operations. Hence, it is known to be classified as a restricted international airport. Patna Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country with their passenger traffic increasing by 30.6 per cent, as of 2018-2019. Despite the infrastructural restrictions, the airport has managed to see a spike in the passenger traffic. Hence, the Airport Authority of India has proposed a measure to expand and modernise the external and internal facilities. Expansions projects have already begun and are reportedly set to complete by 2021. Additionally, the airport authority has also planned to develop a joint-use airport to be used by the Bihta Air Force Station too. The plan is to use civil enclave as the second airport for the city of Patna.
About Patna Airport Terminals
Currently, Patna Airport has only one terminal which is divided into domestic and international sections. You can find the arrivals and departures on opposite ends of the terminals. The airport is not massive and is rather stuck between two famous establishments, making expansion plans a challenge. The current runway length stands at 7,000 ft. The surface has been constructed with asphalt and measures about 1,954 x 148 ft. Much recently, the airport managed to complete the new terminal building's parking garage, which now accommodates more vehicles. The new terminal is set to complete construction by 2022. The new terminal is set to have more space and would be able to accommodate more facilities and even passenger traffic. The airport is also rooting to handle more flights, which can be done after the expansion plans are complete.
About airport authority
As part of its expansion plans, the airport currently stands at a runway length of 7,000 ft. The airport is right in the middle of Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan as well as Phulwari Sharif railway station. The terminal building's area is being increased from the current size, which is 7,200 square metres to a new size which will be 57,000 square metres. The new terminal building is slated to have two levels and will be equipped with six aerobridges along with an apron to park about 14 aircraft. Currently, the airport only has a small parking bay to accommodate six aircraft. To conduct expansion work, Patna airport has demolished several of its buildings, including the Airport Colony as well as IAS Bhavan. The airport also plans to accommodate several utility buildings which include the meteorological centre and Bihar Flying Club. Following this, Patna Airport also plans to construct a new Air Traffic Control tower which would be located adjacent to Birla Institute of Technology. A world-class terminal building will also be installed on the premise of the airport.
About 13.1 acres of land that is close to Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is being utilised for the two-levelled terminal building. The Airports Authority of India has also proposed to extend the terminal further, view a view to sustaining air operations. The terminal extension will be completed by 2035 and is set to handle about 6 million passengers in a year. The new terminal building would be connecting to the existing building with the help of a sky bridge. The civil enclave at Bihta Air Force Station is also under construction and stands about 20 km away from the city. The second airport is being worked on to cater to large aircraft. For the same, the Bihar government acquired about 126 acres of land to construct Bihta Airport. The new airport terminal is being designed by Singapore firm Meinhardt, accommodating about 4.5 million passengers annually.
Meanwhile, Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited, a Hyderabad-based firm, has been selected to execute the layout. The new terminal is set to be completed by 2022. Patna Airport also has a multi-level parking garage.
Facilities at Patna Airport
ATMs - Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport has installed domestic ATM kiosk to ensure that passengers can withdraw money when they wish to at the airport. It is a convenient location and is required too. The same can be found at the departures and arrivals of the airport terminal.
Payphone booths - Pay phone booths have also been added to the list of facilities at the airport. The idea behind maintaining phone booths is to help passengers with no mobile phones or networks to make use of the facility. You can make local calls and connect with the required contact to reach within the city. You will need to pay a small nominal fee to avail the benefits of the phone booth.
Forex counters - As the primary international airport in the state, Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport also has currency exchange counters. Travellers who are venturing from outside India can get their currencies exchanged at the airport's arrivals terminal. The facility has been added recently after the airport underwent some refurbishing. At the forex counters, travellers can also transfer money and receive the same from outside the country.
Medical services - Following the mandatory clause to have medical services in the premise of the airport, Patna Airport has also reserved a special room for the same. In case of any medical emergencies at the airport vicinity, one can directly reach out to their medical room for assistance. A team of dedicated professionals are constantly present at the airport in case of emergencies. Also, there are pharmacies present in the departure section of the terminal.
Hotel booking counters - Right outside the arrivals section of the terminal is the travel agent's booth. At the counter, you will be able to make bookings with respect to your travel and accommodation within the city. The agent will provide all the required details to venture within the city. Starting from top attractions in the city to modes of transport that would be convenient, the travel agent would guide you through all the necessary information about the city to ensure that your stay is comfortable and your experience is good.
Child care room - Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport has also allotted rooms for child care. Many travellers who travel with infants often find it challenging to cater to their child's needs in public. Activities such as changing of the diaper and breastfeeding require privacy in a safe and hygienic environment. Hence, the airport has reserved a child care room to enable the same. They have also installed comfortable chairs and changing tables in the rooms. You can find baby products also at the airport's child care room.
Special assistance - You can request for special assistance with your airlines, and the airport staff would be present to help you out. The trained staff will take you through the procedures of security checks and boarding without much hassle. Wheelchairs are also available, and a dedicated professional would accompany you around the Patna Airport.
Baggage - The baggage facilities at Patna Airport are quite exemplary. They cater to all kinds of baggage needs ranging from the wrapping of the luggage to storage. Trolleys are also present at the airport to help travellers take their luggage through the airport facility. You can also opt to store your luggage at a safe spot if your flight witnesses delay or if there are any layovers.
Top airlines flying from Patna Airport
Patna Airport majorly caters to domestic flights and airlines that fly to top cities within India. Although there are a few dedicated international cities in the Middle East that the airport does accommodate, predominantly, it is Indian cities. Airlines such as Air India, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara operate from Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. These airlines cater to connect to cities such as Amritsar, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Surat, Varanasi, Ranchi, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Raipur, Bagdogra and Jaipur. The five airlines have active flights flying to and from Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. The schedules of the flight are not limited as the airport can accommodate them. Since the airport has a single terminal, the capacity is considerably limited. However, it is spacious enough to cater to the five airlines that operate from Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport.
How to reach Patna Airport
Pre-paid taxis and autos
The most convenient and viable means to reach Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is by auto-rickshaws and pre-paid taxis. Since the airport is perfectly connected by various national highways, it is easy to reach Patna Airport by means of road transport. There are no dedicated bus services that connect to the airport. Pre-paid auto-rickshaws usually have a set fare to reach the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. Hence, it would help if you discussed the rates with the driver before you start your journey. Meanwhile, the taxis are also available in every part of the city. You can hail a cab from anywhere to reach Patna Airport. The airport has also made car rentals available to the travellers. You can book a rental at the airport when you reach the city. The same car can be dropped off at Patna Airport. Although the city does use the iconic horse-drawn trams to travel within the vicinity, the same cannot be used for the airport journey.
