Kolkata airport facing airside expansion logjam
The airside capacity enhancement was scheduled to be complete by Nov 2021, but now is expected to be completed in April 2023; Delay in shifting an Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) pipeline and land acquisition major obstacles
image for illustrative purpose
We will soon embark on a project to expand both the domestic and international wing of the integrated terminal to add more than 4,000 sqm or around 45,000 sft. This will augment the annual capacity of the integrated terminal from 26 million to 28 million, said Kolkata Airport Director C Pattabhi
Ground Report
- In May 2018, NSCBI Airport cleared Rs389.71-cr airside capacity enhancement plan
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport at located at Dum Dum in Kolkata
- It's a major hub for flights to North East India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and South East Asia
- NSCBI Airport got 22 mn passengers in 2019-20
- But it declined to 12 mn passengers in 2020-21 due to Covid pandemic
New Delhi: The airside capacity enhancement of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata has been stuck for almost one-and-a-half-years because of delay in shifting an Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) pipeline and land acquisition.
The NSCBI Airport, located at Dum Dum, serves the Kolkata metropolitan area. It is a major hub for flights to North East India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and South East Asia. It was adjudged Best Improved Airport in the Asia-Pacific region by the Airport Council International.
In May 2018, airside capacity enhancement of the NSCBI Airport was cleared at a cost of Rs 389.71 crore. Airside is the part of an airport nearest the aircraft, the boundary of which is the security check, customs, passport control, etc, according to Collins Dictionary. While there haven't been any cost overruns, the project has been delayed by 17 months, officials told Bizz Buzz.
There was a slowdown in work because of the non-shifting of an IOCL pipeline. Land acquisition in the Mazaar Land area is another problem. Further, delay in government clearance for taking over the Gouripur Bus Stand land is another issue, officials said. The airside capacity enhancement was scheduled to be complete by November last year, but now the anticipated month is April 2023.
It may be recalled that the NSCBI Airport, which has seen a rise in flights, is in need of expansion. "We will soon embark on a project to expand both the domestic and international wing of the integrated terminal to add more than 4,000 sqm or around 45,000 sft. This will augment the annual capacity of the integrated terminal from 26 million to 28 million," Kolkata Airport Director C Pattabhi said recently.
At present, the terminal is spread over about 25 lakh sft. It needs expansion in the arrival and departure levels. "We are not adding any departure gate or aerobridge to the international wing. The additional space will help make the international wing more spacious and prepare it for a surge in flights and travellers," the Director said. Currently, there are 18 aerobridges at the integrated terminal. In 2019-20, the NSCBI Airport got 22 million passengers, but this declined to 12 million passengers in 2020-21 because of the Covid pandemic.
