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West Bengal, a state located in the eastern part of India, is well-known for its natural, cultural, and historical diversity. It covers an area of about 88,752 km2 that includes 23 districts. The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata that is connected to various parts of the state, country, and the world by a well-developed network of roads, railways, and airways. The tourist and education industry of West Bengal invites a large national and international population every year. This has been enhanced by the presence of various domestic and international airports as the airways are the most preferred means of transport nowadays. Some important airports in West Bengal are the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport and the Bagdogra International Airport.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, located in Kolkata, is West Bengal’s most well-known airport. It is a civil airport named after the Bengali nationalist Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. It is located around 17 kilometres from the city centre of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). The airport was called Dum Dum Airport before being renamed after the heroic freedom fighter.
As the largest airport in Eastern India, it has a total size of 2460 acres. Apart from Bagdogra International Airport, it is West Bengal’s only international airport and is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). This airport, which is one of India’s top ten, has three terminal buildings and handles roughly 310 aircraft each day. The three terminals comprise a domestic terminal, an international terminal, and a cargo terminal.
Bagdogra International Airport
The Bagdogra International Airport serves as a gateway to the towns of Mirik, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Sikkim, and Darjeeling. Bhutan is also easily accessible through this airport. The airport receives a lot of tourists every year. The airport is administered by the AAI.
Bagdogra Airport is an important international airport in West Bengal. Passengers arriving at or departing from Bagdogra Airport will find taxis waiting to transport them to and from the capital city. Passengers can make use of free trolleys and baggage services. Wheelchairs are also available for the physically handicapped and the elderly.
The international terminal has all of the facilities according to your conveniences, including water facility, washroom facility, lounge facility, as well as an emergency room. Druk Air is a passenger airline that operates international flights to Paro, Bhutan, and Bangkok, Thailand.
Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport
Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport is also known as Durgapur Airport. It is one of the domestic airports situated in Andal, Paschim Bardhaman. Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport is surrounded by towns such as Burdwan, Bishnupur, Bankura, Suri, Purulia, Shantiniketan, Rampurhat in South Bengal, and Dhanbad. This airport is a part of the Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited’s (BAPL) plan for the development of the country’s first private sector Aerotropolis. On September 19, 2013, the airport was formally opened. The passenger terminal structure, which is 5,750 square metres in size, can accommodate 1 million passengers per year and maybe enlarged to 2.5 million in the future.
Balurghat Airport
Balurghat Airport covers an area of 78 hectares. It is at an elevation of 78 feet above sea level. It is located at a distance of 34 km from Gangarampur and 6 km from Balurghat. This airport was established by the British as a temporary airfield in Balurghat for military purposes during World War II. The Surekha Air Service began flying from there in the 1950s and ended during the Indo-Pak war. Finally, Vayudoot began operating from the airport in 1984. However, because of the lack of navigation systems, lack of passengers, and financial losses, these flights were cancelled.
The airport’s runway is 3600 feet long and 100 feet wide, with a paved surface (1097m x 30m). At the moment, the airport can only accommodate a maximum of 20 passengers for arrivals and departures. Currently, there are no commercial services available at the airport. The Airport Authority of India is in charge of it.
Cooch Behar Airport
Cooch Behar Airport is one of the domestic airports in West Bengal. It is located in the city of Cooch Behar and mostly serves the Assam-Bengal border region. The airport sits at a height of 42 metres above sea level. It is managed by the AAI and can accommodate up to fifty passengers on arrival and departure. According to reports, the airport’s perimeter lights were placed in March 2020, and the runway was restored. Security has also been beefed up in and around the facility.
Authorities have prepared the aerodrome at Rupsi in the Kokrajhar region of Assam to resume services after three decades, despite residents’ long-standing demand that flights from Cooch Behar airport in Bengal be resumed. The districts of Cooch Behar and Kokrajhar are adjacent to one another.
Conclusion
West Bengal houses not only the domestic airports but also two international airports. These airports also add up to the reasons which make West Bengal a preferred travel destination. Apart from this, the airports contain all the necessary facilities for the visitor that include lounge facilities, pick drop facilities, medical assistance, etc. that make a travellers’ journey easy and more comfortable.
