PURNEA, Aug. 9 -- Purnea Airport, which had emerged as a ray of hope for people living in the Seemanchal and Kosi regions, now appears to be losing its sheen, with airfares emerging as a major concern for passengers. Many travellers are increasingly opting for Bagdogra or Darbhanga airports, as flights from these airports are proving to be more affordable than those from Purnea Airport. The slump in passenger footfall at Purnea airport over the past three months has started fuelling fears among those who have long fought for the airport and witnessed the air service being discontinued thrice. The concern has gripped them at a time when an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) tender worth Rs.294.05 crore for a permanent terminal building has already been issued. According to a report, passenger footfall at Purnea airport has witnessed a continuous decline since May. In May, 28,596 passengers availed themselves of the air service at Purnea airport, while the figure declined to 25,834 in June. July witnessed a sharp fall, with only 20,247 passengers using the air service. The figures include both arrivals and departures. Purnea airport director Deep Prakash Gupta, speaking to HT over the phone, admitted that passenger footfall had declined over the past two weeks. "But the reason behind this, I can't tell you," he said when asked about the reasons behind the sudden fall in passenger footfall at Purnea airport, which had set a record during the first six months after its inauguration. Purnea airport had set a record in passenger footfall during the first six months following its inauguration by the Prime Minister on September 15 last year. The passenger footfall has now declined to 800-850 a day, which is a major concern for the airport, an official associated with Purnea airport told HT, citing three main reasons for the decline. "First of all, there are no direct flights to bigger cities from here. The fare hike compared to other airports and the absence of a permanent terminal building are also reasons behind the fall in passenger footfall," he said. "If you spend just Rs.300, you can save Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,000," RTI activist Vijay Kumar Shreevasatava said, explaining, "Travelling from Purnea airport involves higher flight ticket costs or limited options compared to the larger, fully commercial Bagdogra airport, which is located about 130 km away. It can be reached by spending Rs.300 and offers more frequent flights and competitive airline pricing." Group Captain (Retired) Vishwajeet Kumar, who was instrumental in introducing a 10-seater Spirit Airways service linking Purnea with Kolkata and Patna in 2012, said, "There should be multiple air service operators to different destinations at any airport. That gives passengers more options." He demanded, "Purnea airport should immediately have a second operator, such as Air India or Akasa, with services to Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among other destinations, which will make pricing competitive." Locals have described the fare hike as nothing short of financial exploitation of the people of Seemanchal. "It is financial exploitation of Seemanchal people. There is no reason for such a steep hike in airfares from or to Purnea airport," said R R Bharti, a frequent flyer based in Purnea. "Earlier, the fare was Rs.2,500 for a flight of less than an hour, but the same is not true of ticket prices right now, and people are feeling cheated," alleged Arvind Kumar Jha, a Purnea-based retired government employee. "If concrete measures are not taken immediately, we fear the airport may witness a further decline in passenger flow. The expansion of the airport may also take a back seat," many locals said....