Business travellers between eastern India and the capital faced unexpected disruption on Monday after Air India Express cancelled flight IX1348 from Patna to Delhi for both 21 and 22 September 2026. Patna airport authorities confirmed the airline cited “operational reasons” without elaborating. The flight, a popular 07:15 a.m. connection for same-day meetings in Delhi and onward international hubs, was fully booked in both economy and business sections. With no immediate re-routing plan announced, affected passengers have had to scramble for last-minute seats on IndiGo and Vistara services, pushing one-way fares above ₹15,000—triple the average. Travel-management companies report that at least two multinational firms activated remote-work protocols for staff due to the spike in airfares and limited rail alternatives. Air India Express operates a lean fleet, and analysts say aircraft rotation or crew-duty constraints can ripple through its network. Frequent cancellations on trunk routes risk undermining the carrier’s strategy to position itself as Tata Group’s value-based feeder to Air India’s long-haul flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation requires airlines to offer either a refund within seven days or rebook travellers on the next available service at no extra cost, but enforcement is often complaint-driven. Corporate mobility managers are advised to monitor upcoming IX1348 rotations and build buffer time into itineraries, especially for travellers connecting to visas-on-arrival or same-day embassy appointments in Delhi.
Source: The Times of India
