As part of the Centre’s plan to restore the glory of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport and transform it into a hub for international flights, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjrapu Rammohan Naidu announced on Saturday that The airport will operate daily flights to 100 destinations.
Inaugurating the airport’s centenary celebrations, he recalled that once there were direct flights to London and Paris from this city.
“At present, there are flights to 15 international destinations and 49 domestic destinations from Kolkata. We are determined to grow significantly in international and domestic destinations in the near future. Our goal is to make Kolkata one of the busiest airports in the country, handling more than 100 flights daily to both regions,” he said.
The minister said that due to the efforts of the Center and the support of the state, the number of ships using the airport daily has increased from 264 to 400.
He said that the airport has a plan to increase the number of passengers from 2.6 million to 4.0 million annually.
“To achieve this, we plan to build a new terminal at the airport by November 2025,” he added.
On the occasion, the minister accompanied by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohal released a commemorative coin and a coffee table book. He also announced the introduction of a pocket-friendly ‘Uran Cafe’, which will be run on a trial basis, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
TMC MP and Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, Saugata Roy, urged the ministers to start more international flights from the city and improve the infrastructure of other airports in the state, such as Andal, Coochbehar and Bagdogra.
“We are committed to improving airport infrastructure in Bengal, which will drive economic growth and turn airports into hubs of economic activity,” the minister said.
He also mentioned that the Center is working to expand infrastructure at Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri, keeping in mind its strategic location.
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