Owing to the airport being sandwiched between the
Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan and
Phulwari Sharif railway station, the runway of the airport is too short to accommodate larger aircraft. Thanks to this constriction coupled against the backdrop of burgeoning demand and passenger traffic, the construction of a new terminal went underway in October 2018, at a cost of ₹1,217 crore (US$152 million). The new terminal spans 65,155 square meters, up from the originally proposed 57,000 square meters, and marks a substantial increase over the 7,200 square meters area of the now-demolished old terminal. It features five aerobridges, and with resurfacing work currently underway at the former terminal site, the apron will eventually accommodate 14 aircraft, including 11 Code C and 3 ATR 72-type, compared to the current capacity of just six. The former
air traffic control (ATC) tower was demolished following the completion and commissioning of the new 25-meter tall tower, located adjacent to the
Birla Institute of Technology, Patna, which became operational in December 2023. The interior design of the terminal has been inspired by
Madhubani art, a renowned traditional art form of Bihar, and the ruins of the
Nalanda University. The design was created by the
Singapore-based firm,
Meinhardt and was executed by the
Hyderabad-based firm, Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited (NCC). The terminal is capable of serving more than 80 lakh (8 million) passengers per year (previously proposed as 45 lakh, or 4.5 million), in contrast to only around 30 lakh (3 million) passengers per year at present. Around 13.1 acres of land near the airport has been used for its construction, and in lieu of 11.35 acres of land in Anisabad, the
Airports Authority of India (AAI) will transfer the airport to the
Government of Bihar once the expansion works are completed. The land parcel atop which the new terminal stands previously featured several buildings, which included the Airport Colony and the IAS Bhavan: they were demolished, and utility buildings like the Meteorological Centre and Bihar Flying Club were relocated. The new terminal was expected be completed by 2021, but due to delays stemming from the
COVID-19 pandemic, including labour shortages and supply disruptions, it only became operational on 3 June 2025. The new terminal building was inaugurated on 29 May 2025. The AAI has planned to develop a
civil enclave at the
Bihta Air Force Station, away from Patna, to cater larger aircraft. In October 2016, the Cabinet of Bihar approved the Patna Master Plan, which envisages development of a new passenger terminal at Bihta. The Government of Bihar is acquiring 126 acres of land for construction of the terminal. ==Airlines and destinations ==