Aesthetics & convenience: Airport to woo flyers with a glossy revamp
Times of India | 10 April 2025
12 Kolkata: Work on removing the worn-out carpets at Kolkata airport's integrated passenger terminal is set to commence next week. The dark grey-blue carpets will give way to bright flake epoxy flooring, which is expected to impart a new sheen to the facility. The project cost is estimated to be around Rs 7 crore.
The carpets are currently laid across 43,000 sq ft of floor near the aerobridge, as well as bus boarding gates in the departure security hold area. The carpets that will be discarded have been in the terminal since its inauguration on Jan 23, 2013. The terminal became operational that March and is now more than 11 years old, in need of an upgrade. Nearly 10 crore passengers who took flights out of the airport in these 11 years walked over the carpet, causing them to get frayed. It also gathered dust and stains from constant use.
The epoxy flooring currently being used at major airports worldwide will give the floor a seamless glossy finish. "The new flooring will not only enhance the aesthetic look of the terminal, it will be more durable, easy to maintain, chemical resistant, and cost-effective," said airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria.
"The joint-less epoxy flooring will be more hygienic as it can be cleaned easily. The revamp will be done in phases, " said Beuria.
The carpet flooring in the 18 aerobridges will also be removed and replaced with PVC flooring to eliminate the mustiness caused by the occasional water drip from the ceiling-mounted AC units. TOI has written time and again about passengers complaining about soggy and smelling carpets while raising issues about cleanliness and hygiene of the airport.
"Carpets are a thing of the past. They are not only difficult to clean but lose their sheen with age. Epoxy flooring can actually make the airport extremely interesting and I am looking forward to it," said Dwaipayan Roy, a frequent flier.
The refurbishment is part of the overhaul-cum-expansion of the terminal that is currently underway. While 71,000 sq ft is being added to the terminal to increase its capacity from 2.6 crore passengers per annum to 2.8 crore passengers per annum by this year's end, work is also underway to completely redo toilet blocks and replace chairs at the airport. While the expansion project, which also includes work in the operational area, will cost Rs 130 crore, the toilet revamp project will cost Rs 5 crore, and the chair upgrade another Rs 3.2 crore.