Drone survey revives push to revive Behala airport
The Statesman | 1 June 2026
A significant step towards the long-pending operationalisation of Behala Airport was taken on Saturday when the West Bengal government’s land & land reforms department carried out a drone-based survey to demarcate land belonging to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The exercise, initiated following efforts by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state president and BJP MLA Dr Indranil Khan, is expected to address one of the key hurdles that had stalled development of the airport for years.
Officials said the absence of proper land demarcation, incomplete boundary walls and alleged encroachments on airport land had prevented crucial infrastructure work from progressing. A complete boundary wall around the airport is a mandatory requirement laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) before any airport can become operational. According to sources, the data collected through the drone survey will now be incorporated into the official mouza map. Once the updated map is prepared, likely by next week, authorities will be able to identify the exact extent of encroachments. The process is expected to facilitate removal of encroachments and enable construction of the remaining sections of the boundary wall.
The development has renewed discussions over the future of Behala airport, which currently functions as a non-operational airfield and serves primarily as a training base for the Behala Flying Club. Plans to transform it into Kolkata’s second commercial airport have existed for decades, but progress has remained limited due to a combination of land-related issues and regulatory restrictions. One of the major areas of contention has been the expansion of the AAI-designated “red zone” around the airfield. The restrictions impose stringent height limits on buildings in surrounding areas, often creating difficulties for residents and developers in obtaining municipal clearances for construction.
The issue had earlier led to differences between the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee-led state government and aviation authorities, with the state seeking relaxation of certain norms while the AAI maintained that safety considerations necessitated strict enforcement. Residents in neighbourhoods surrounding the airport have frequently raised concerns over both the restrictions and the uncertainty surrounding the airport’s future.
The renewed effort to resolve land and boundary-related issues comes at a time when aviation infrastructure in Kolkata is under scrutiny. At the city’s main aviation hub, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, a separate debate is underway over the proposed relocation of a 136-year-old mosque to facilitate runway expansion and capacity enhancement projects.
Officials believe that successful completion of the land demarcation process at Behala Airport could provide fresh momentum to long-delayed plans for bringing the facility into operational use.