DARBHANGA, June 2 -- Passengers booked on a SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Delhi on Monday were informed just hours before departure that the service had been shifted to Patna due to "operational reasons", forcing many to scramble for alternative travel arrangements. According to a message sent by the airline, the scheduled Darbhanga-Delhi flight was revised and replaced by flight SG 9496 operating from Patna's Terminal 1 to Delhi's Terminal 1D on June 1. The rescheduled flight was scheduled to depart Patna at 7:25 pm and arrive in Delhi at 9:15 pm. The change came despite passengers having already completed web check-in for the Darbhanga flight. Mobile boarding passes issued by the airline showed flight SG 496 departing Darbhanga at 4 pm and arriving in Delhi at 6:10 pm, with boarding scheduled from 3:30 pm. In its message, SpiceJet apologised for the inconvenience and cited "operational reasons" for the change, but did not elaborate on why the flight was relocated from Darbhanga to Patna at such short notice. The move effectively required passengers to travel nearly 140 km to Patna, raising concerns over additional expenses, missed connections and logistical difficulties. "We were informed by SMS at 12.17 pm on the day of travel that SpiceJet flight SG496 had been shifted from Darbhanga to Patna, even though boarding passes had already been issued for departure from Darbhanga. The airline should explain the last-minute change and compensate affected passengers," said Neelam Yadav, an advocate and one of the affected travellers. Passengers said the abrupt decision disrupted their schedules and left them rushing to arrange transportation to Patna. The airline advised travellers to check flight status updates on its website or contact customer care for assistance. A SpiceJet official posted at Darbhanga airport said Delhi-bound passengers were directed to board the flight from Patna after delays pushed the schedule beyond Darbhanga airport's operational hours. The airport currently does not handle commercial flight operations beyond 5 pm. Airport director Dilip Kumar was unavailable for comment. Darbhanga airport is already equipped with a CAT-I Instrument Landing System (ILS), while CAT-II runway lighting infrastructure has also been installed. However, the upgraded facilities are yet to be commissioned, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had conveyed its readiness to support extended flight operations at Darbhanga airport in December last year and had asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to deploy the required operational staff if flight movements were to be increased beyond the existing watch hours of 9 am to 5 pm. The civil enclave at Darbhanga Air Force Station was inaugurated on November 8, 2020, under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN and has since emerged as one of the country's most successful regional airports. The latest disruption comes days after a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Darbhanga, scheduled to depart at 1:25 pm on Saturday, was cancelled following a prolonged delay, triggering protests by stranded passengers. Travellers alleged that the airline failed to provide timely updates and kept them waiting for hours without clarity on the flight's status or alternative arrangements. A day earlier, passengers on an IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Darbhanga also faced inconvenience after the aircraft returned to Kolkata....