Bengal Aerotropolis Projects gets DGCA nod for airport

Pinnacle Air will connect Andal and Cooch Behar with Kolkata, GoAir and Indigo likely to start Delhi-Durgapur flights

Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) today said that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted the Aerodrome License to its Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (KNI Airport) in Durgapur-Andal region in West Bengal on April 24, 2015, which is the final approval from the civil aviation authority.

"The country will soon witness the airport operating commercially and improving air connectivity across Bengal and India," a BAPL statement said. The date, however, is yet to be finalised.

While Pinnacle Air will launch non-scheduled operations through small fixed-wing aircraft, connecting the airports of Andal and Cooch Behar in North Bengal with Kolkata four days a week, scheduled airlines GoAir and Indigo are in talks with Bengal Aerotropolis Ltd (BAPL) to commence operations on the Delhi-Durgapur route.

BAPL, however, said, it was in talks with all national carriers. "As and when it materialises, we will update. The name of the airlines and date of operations will be announced shortly," it said.

Apart from sales tax waiver on aviation turbine fuel, BAPL is offering concessions on parking-landing charges and 'seat underwriting', or buying seats to attract fliers. Now, BAPL is banking on the Aerodome License to influence other airline operators.

Having obtained this final approval from the authority of Indian civil aviation, the airport will now become India's first operational private greenfield airport under the country's Greenfield Airport Policy, BAPL said.

The 650-acre airport is the centrepiece of the Rs 10,000 crore aerotropolis project. Partha Ghosh, Managing Director, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, said, "A special mention is a must for our partners Changi Airports International who have shown utmost confidence in our vision and supported us throughout our journey with their technical expertise." Changi Airports International holds a 36.32 per cent stake in the company.

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