Durgapur-Delhi direct flight makes bumper debut

Direct flights from Durgapur’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport to New Delhi, which started on Monday, recorded overwhelming bookings for its tri-weekly flight since the very first week of operations. The huge response for the first flight itself shows the demand from the region. Durgapur’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, India’s first operational private Greenfield airport, developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, is the latest addition to the country’s civil aviation network. Air India will operate the 122-seater Airbus-319 aircraft on the Kolkata-Durgapur-New Delhi sector every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Managing Director of BAPL Partha Ghosh said, “We were sure that the people of Durgapur and its catchment area would welcome direct connectivity with the national capital. Till now, the people from this region had to travel all the way to Kolkata or Ranchi airports, some 200 km away, to catch their preferred flights to New Delhi or elsewhere. We are overwhelmed and thankful for the blockbuster opening, which proves our belief that there exists tremendous potential in the ADPA region, that our Aerotropolis project and our airport are poised to cater to.”

The scheduled commercial flight AI 733 will depart from Kolkata at 8:30 am and arrive in Durgapur at 9:00 am. It will take off at 9:30 am and reach New Delhi at 11:45 am. While returning, flight AI 734 will take off from New Delhi at 12:35pm and reach Durgapur at 2:40 pm. It will depart from Durgapur at 03:20 pm and reach Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 3:50 pm. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had graced the inaugural flight on December 7. She had said that the Durgapur-Delhi service would help in the growth of industry, commerce and also tourism in the region. She had also complimented Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) for the world-class experience offered to travellers at the country’s first private Greenfield airport.