Malda & Balurghat airports awaiting Centre’s clearance, says minister

State Transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty attributed the delay in starting flight operations from Malda and Balurghat airports to the Civil Aviation ministry which is yet to select a private operator for running flights from these places.

“We had given proposal to the Airports Authority of India and the Civil Aviation ministry to start flight operations from these two airports in PPP mode by entering into a partnership with a private airlines that is competent and experienced. However, the Civil Aviation ministry has not approved our proposal and had said that they will be selecting the flight operator. We have been pursuing with the ministry and in March we had written on the matter but no response has been elicited,” Chakraborty said replying to a query from BJP legislator Srirupa Mitra Chowdhury at the state Assembly on Monday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Centre has been urged for running double engine flights from the airports with chances of accidents quite high for flights with single engines.

The state government has taken up land for the two airports in June 2016 on 33 years’ lease.

Since then, Rs 24 crore has been spent for runway, terminal, approach road, boundary wall of Balurghat airport.

In case of Malda, the state has spent Rs 14.92 crore for developing similar infrastructure and friction test in both the airports has also been completed. The runway length of 1495 m for Balurghat and 1107 m for Malda are capable of running 19 seater flights. For big Boeing flights, runway length of at least 2800 m is required.

“The infrastructure work has been completed in 2021. Now, as soon as the Centre selects the operator for running flights, we can start operation,” Chakraborty added.