AAI to pitch Kolkata for long-haul flights

Kolkata: In a bid to persuade leading airlines to start long-haul flight operations from Kolkata to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and also China, Airports Authority of India is pitching for City of Joy at "Route Conferences".

"There are route conferences happening all around the world. We are visiting these conferences where we are showcasing Kolkata.

We give them all kind of data related to the kind of passenger traffic they can have," Atul Dikshit, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India (AAI), said at Infra East organized by CII on Tuesday.

He further maintained that the state government is also making persistent efforts to rope in the airlines.

"We have engaged US-based consultant Landrum & Brown, a few months ago with a mandate to make a study on sustainability and capacity expansion of the airport," he said adding that consultant which specialises in aviation planning and development is likely to submit their report soon.

Dikshit also said on an average 450 flights either take-off or land in Kolkata.

Though the airport still has capacity to accommodate more flights, it is contemplating capacity

enhancement to meet the growing demands.