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Bengal

Centre junks plan of Cooch-Behar airport expansion

Kolkata: Even as expansion plans are afoot for Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport, the Centre has junked any such plans for Cooch Behar airport in North Bengal, citing unavailability of land for runway strip due to railway track.

The Union minister of State in Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Murlidhar Mohol has informed the Parliament that the upgradation of Cooch Behar airport is not feasible due to a combination of factors, one of them being unavailability of land for runway strip due to railway track. It was learnt that the other factors involve high cost of box culvert over River Mora Torsha and diversion of railway track.

The airport has a runway of orientation 04/22 with dimensions 1069m x 30m. It is owned and operated by AAI and is suitable for handling ‘Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Code 2B’ type of aircraft. Such a Code indicates stricter visibility and cloud clearance requirements, often necessary for operations in congested airspace or near airports with complex traffic patterns. The airport is located at an elevation of 138 feet (42 m) above mean sea level and does not have any Instrument Landing System (ILS). Presently, the airport has one parking bay for ATR-42 Type of aircraft and a passenger terminal building of area 2100 sqm. The airport was identified for operation of Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) flights and made operational on February 21, 2023 after an expenditure of Rs 10.45 crore was made for its development.

It was learnt that as of January 12, 2025, the airline India One Air has operated 1122 flights, carrying a total of 8687 passengers. In 2024, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had approved the expansion of the airport’s parking bay.

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