Airport mosque, 165 m from runway, raises safety & navigation concerns
Times of India | 4 December 2025
Kolkata: Safety concerns over the close proximity of a century-old mosque to the secondary runway at Kolkata airport have again surfaced after minister of state for civic aviation Murlidhar Mohol pointed out that its presence in the approach area of the runway led to the displacement of the threshhold or touchdown point by 88 m.
While the Bankra Mosque does not affect daily operations as the 2,832-m runway is long enough for Code D aircraft, like Boeing B767 and Airbus A310, to safely operate beyond the displacement point, airport officials say the mosque could pose a threat during emergencies.
"A plane landing short of the secondary runway when approaching from the Madhyamgram end or overshooting it when landing from the New Town end could collide with the mosque, risking a catastrophic accident," an official said. The mosque is only 165 m from the runway's end, falling short of the required 240-m safety area.
Operating flights when the primary runway isn't available on foggy winter days may also pose a challenge. The 3,633-m primary runway is equipped with Category III ILS at both ends, allowing operations in visibility as low as 50 m. In contrast, the secondary runway has Category I ILS for flights approaching from the northern end. There is no ILS for flights approaching from the southern end due to the mosque's presence, complicating landings when winds blow from north to south in winter.
"The localiser cannot be installed at the northern end of the runway to provide guidance, range, and visual information to pilots approaching the runway from the south," said an airport official.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for airport security, also pointed out that while devotees visiting the mosque are frisked and registered before boarding a bus to the mosque, they lack clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Earlier, devotees walked a 200-m corridor to the mosque. But now, a bus service operates before and after prayers. This change facilitated the creation of a taxi track, allowing departing aircraft to reach the runway's northern end for take-off without backtracking.