West Bengal to add four airports in two years under new aviation push

West Bengal is set to add four more airports over the next two years, with the Centre and state government signing agreements covering their development and regional air connectivity.

Civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Monday that the state could have eight operational airports in two years, compared with three currently in operation at Kolkata, Bagdogra and Andal.

The fourth existing airport, Cooch Behar, is to be revived. The four airports included in the new expansion plan are the conversion of the Air Force bases at Hashimara in Alipurduar and Kalaikunda in West Midnapore into civil enclaves, the revival of Balurghat airport in South Dinajpur and development of an airstrip at Charra in Purulia.

“These airports will open up new possibilities for tourism, agriculture and regional connectivity,” Naidu said.

The announcement followed the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the civil aviation ministry and the state government for development of the four airports and implementation of UDAN, the Centre’s regional airport development and connectivity scheme.

The Centre plans to spend Rs 29,000 crore on improving air connectivity in West Bengal over the next decade.

The proposed civil enclaves at Hashimara and Kalaikunda are expected to have 2,700-metre runways, allowing them to handle narrow-bodied aircraft such as Airbus A320 and Boeing B737. Hashimara is expected to improve connectivity for Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, while Kalaikunda could serve Kharagpur and nearby areas.

At Balurghat, flight operations will begin after expansion of existing infrastructure on Airports Authority of India land. Work on the new airport at Charra is also set to commence.

The state government has also proposed strengthening Andal airport and requested the Centre’s help in starting direct flights from Kolkata to the UK and major European destinations.