Kolkata pushes for more international flights, direct Europe connectivity
Telegraph | 27 March 2025
The state’s home secretary met with airport and airline executives on Wednesday to press for Calcutta’s demand for more international flights and direct connectivity to Europe.
Calcutta airport authorities would write to international airlines that earlier operated from Calcutta but have withdrawn, and also others which have not flown to the city in the recent past, requesting them to resume services from the city, said sources.
“The state government will write to the civil aviation ministry requesting it to take the initiative to bring more international flights to Calcutta and provide direct connectivity to Europe,” said a state government official.
The meeting, chaired by home secretary Nandini Chakravorty, comes a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee made an appeal in London to UK-based airlines for direct flights to Calcutta.
“First, my humble suggestion would be to my UK airline friends. Can you give us one direct flight? British Airways, you were there. Earlier, it was there. But it was withdrawn before we came to power. I do not know what the cause is. But now, every flight is booked. We are also giving some fuel concessions, from Calcutta, from Siliguri and also from Andal,” Mamata said at an interactive session on Opportunities in WestBengal jointly organised by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and Federation ofIndian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), in London.
“Now, no seat will be vacant. Every seat will be full. Your business will go up. Whoever comes first, we will give them a first advantage. Fuel tax advantage,” Mamata said.
The chief minister pointed out that it takes 18 hours to travel to and from London. But a direct flight would take only about ten hours.
“You tell me how difficult it is. The transport communication is weak. This is a request. I express my views on behalf of the people in Bengal, on behalf of students, businessmen, doctors, teachers, the media, everybody. Please come. We will give you a fabulous reception. If we get a direct flight from London, there will be more and more communication and connection and integration also,” she said in London.
Wednesday’s meeting at Nabanna was attended by Pravat Ranjan Beuria, Calcutta airport’s director, airline representatives and travel agents.
During the meeting, Beuria said Calcutta airport is the sixth busiest in India, equipped to handle wide-body aircraft and has sufficient terminal capacity to manage 26 million passengers annually. He also said that the airport was on the verge of achieving its pre-pandemic passenger movement level of 22 million this year and has the potential to accommodate additional passenger traffic.
Representatives from the tour operators requested home secretary Chakravorty and the airport director to persuade international operators that had discontinued services post-pandemic, like Sri Lankan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malindo Air, and China Eastern Airlines.
“We have also requested that special discounts on aviation fuel, user development fee and passenger service fee be offered to attract international airlines to operate from Calcutta,” said Anjani Dhanuka, the chairman of the eastern region of the Travel Agents Association of India. “Calcutta airport levies more charges in comparison to cities like Delhi and Mumbai,” he said.
“If there are more international flights, there will be more passengers too,” said Dhanuka. Beuria, however, argued that the charges are regulated by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). “We will communicate this view to the higher authorities,” he said.
There were also discussions to persuade Air India to resume the connecting flight to London via Delhi, with immigration clearance in Calcutta.