Kolkata, Jan 15 (PTI) Air India Express on Wednesday commenced operations from Patna, launching daily flights to Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad, the airline said in a statement.

The new flights are part of the airline's strategy to connect emerging cities with key destinations across the country and beyond, it said.

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A celebratory event was held at Patna airport to mark the occasion, with the inaugural flights taking off amidst great enthusiasm.

Senior officials from the Airports Authority of India, Air India Express, and other key stakeholders from Jay Prakash Narayan Airport attended the event.

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To commemorate the event, special boarding passes were given to the first guests on the inaugural flights.

Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, is undergoing rapid network expansion, supported by its growing fleet, which is nearing the 100-aircraft milestone, the statement added.

The airline recently added Dimapur, Dibrugarh, Sri Vijay Puram (Port Blair) and Jammu to its domestic network, and international destinations like Bangkok and Phuket.

"This growth has enabled a 30 per cent increase in its winter schedule compared to last year, with more than 400 daily flights now operating, up from over 325 last year," the statement added.

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