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— A. Roy Chowdhury

Announcing plans: The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, and the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, addressing the media at the Writers’ Building in Kolkata on Friday.

Our Bureau

Kolkata, Sept. 7 Even as the first phase of upgradation and modernisation of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Kolkata is slated to be completed by June 2010, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the West Bengal Government today announced plans to set up a new airport — along with a township, IT & logistics hub — at Ondal near Durgapur.

This was stated here at a media briefing held at the Writers’ Buildings by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, following a meeting between the two to discuss the development of Kolkata airport and the growth of civil aviation in West Bengal.

According to Mr Bhattacharjee, the parties that would be involved in setting up the proposed airport near Durgapur include the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Asansol Durgapur Development Authority, HUDCO and Pragati Social Infrastructure Ltd among others.

Mr Patel said the first phase of the modernisation and upgradation of Kolkata airport would entail an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. Work on the project would begin in January next and be completed by June 2010. From handling five million passengers every year at present, the Kolkata airport would be equipped to handle 20 million passengers annually when the first phase of modernisation is completed. Cargo handling capacity would also be augmented. When the modernisation and upgradation of Kolkata airport is completed, it will be capable of handling 60 million passengers annually. “When the modernisation process is completed, Kolkata airport will be comparable to airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore,” he said, adding that an international consortium would be awarded the contract for modernisation of the Kolkata airport on a turnkey basis.

Mr Patel said the Behala Flying Club would soon be made operational once again. Smaller aircraft may be allowed to operate from the airfield there. The district of Cooch Behar would also be connected by air to Kolkata by the month-end, when Air Deccan launches services on the Kolkata-Cooch Behar-Kolkata sector, he said.

On a request from Mr Bhattacharjee, Mr Patel said he would request Lufthansa to have daily flights between Kolkata and Frankfurt.

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