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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘From 26 million passengers to 45 million annually': Kolkata Airport's old domestic terminal to be demolished for new international facility
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata is set for a major expansion, with plans underway to demolish the old domestic terminal and construct a new international facility. Officials said this expansion will help future-proof the airport against rising passenger demand in the coming decades and strengthen its position as a major aviation hub in eastern India. 'The current integrated terminal, spread over 222,973 square metres, is a workhorse, presently handling 8,460 peak-hour passengers — 5,500 domestic and 2,960 international. With an annual passenger capacity of 26 million (2.6 crore), this is expected to reach saturation by 2025–26,' said Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria, Airport Director, NSCBI Airport. Demolition of the old domestic terminal is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early next year. In its place, a new U-shaped terminal will come up, initially meant exclusively for international operations. Once operational, the new international terminal will add capacity for 2 million passengers annually. To address growing passenger traffic in the interim, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also planned an expansion of the existing terminal's international areas. The departure section will be expanded by 3,000 sq m, and the arrival section by 2,600 sq m. This 71,000 sq ft modular addition will increase total capacity from 26 million to 28 million passengers per annum (2.8 crore), with completion targeted for the end of this year. Sources at the airport said that after the new international terminal becomes operational, the existing integrated terminal, 222,973 sq m in size, will be converted for exclusive domestic use with a revised handling capacity of 34 million passengers annually. The old domestic terminal, built in 1995 with a capacity of 5 million passengers annually and a built-up area of 2.4 lakh sq ft, has remained unused for regular operations since the current integrated terminal opened in 2013. However, the building continued to serve key functions. During the pandemic, it housed a quarantine facility and later operated an RT-PCR testing centre for international travellers (2020–22). It has also been used for Haj flight operations. 'Upon full completion of these projects, NSCBI Airport's total annual passenger handling capacity — combining both the converted domestic terminal and the new international terminal — is projected to reach 45 million. Of this, 36 million will be for domestic passengers and 9 million for international,' an airport official said. Officials said this expansion will help future-proof the airport against rising passenger demand in the coming decades and strengthen its position as a major aviation hub in the region. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Kolkata airport gets DigiYatra facility for contactless travel
A DigiYatra facility was inaugurated at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport on Thursday, marking a significant stride in contactless travel. The service is specifically designed to streamline the experience for domestic transfer passengers. The facility was inaugurated by passengers in the presence of PR Beuria, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with other senior AAI officials. The DigiYatra facility was first officially launched for general domestic passengers at the Kolkata airport on March 31, 2023. Kolkata was part of the second phase of DigiYatra implementation in India, following the initial launch at Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi airports in December 2022. 'The latest addition leverages facial recognition technology to facilitate faster passenger movement, significantly reducing processing times and enhancing security,' said an official.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Over 200 obstacles flagged by authorities near Kolkata airport, posing safety risk during take-off and landing
Even as the country mourns the loss of 241 lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata continues to face a pressing concern: over 200 obstacles around its vicinity that pose potential risks during aircraft take-off and landing. According to sources, a recent Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) study identified a total of 377 hazards around the NSCBI Airport. While 90 of these have been successfully removed — including several tall trees and parts of illegally constructed buildings — the majority remain in place. These include mobile towers, water tanks, dish antennas, lightning arresters, and unauthorized high-rise structures. Around 287 still pose a threat. Of the 377 obstacles identified, 118 are considered 'problematic', comprising buildings and other structures. Of these, only 15 have been removed so far, with no action initiated against the remaining 103, sources said. Airport authorities have repeatedly issued notices to the owners of these properties, urging immediate compliance, the sources said. The issue of obstruction falls under the jurisdiction of six civic bodies: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Madhyamgram Municipality (MMC), New Barrackpore Municipality (NBM), and North Dum Dum Municipality (NDM). Obstructions include high-rises in Rajarhat and New Town, dish antennas in Madhyamgram, lightning arresters in New Town, large hoardings near BT College More, mobile towers in Michaelnagar and New Barrackpore, coconut trees in Michaelnagar, and electric poles along Jessore Road. The urgency of these concerns was highlighted at a high-level meeting of the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) held at NSCBI Airport on May 23. The meeting was chaired by Nandini Chakraborty, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Government of West Bengal, and attended by Dr P R Beuria, Airport Director, along with senior IAS officers, Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, municipal representatives, and airline stakeholders. As the fifth busiest airport in India — handling over 400 flight movements daily and capable of accommodating Code-E wide-body aircraft — the removal of these obstacles and tall trees was a key point of discussion. The Airport Director informed the committee that precise coordinates of the identified trees and structures are being shared with the relevant authorities to facilitate their removal. The Principal Secretary also advised that these details be sent directly to municipal bodies for swift action. Apart from physical obstacles, laser beam interference near the airport emerged as another major concern. Airport Director Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria flagged the issue, noting that lasers can temporarily blind pilots during critical phases of flight. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already issued guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to address this hazard. Following the meeting, the Principal Secretary reportedly instructed municipal authorities and the police to strictly curb the use of lasers within designated 'laser beam-free' and 'laser beam-critical' flight zones. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
