Kolkata expands aviation capacity with new Kalyani hub
West Bengal will establish a new greenfield airport in Kalyani to serve the expanding travel demands of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area. Announced by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta during the state budget presentation, this development positions the region alongside Delhi NCR and Mumbai as India’s only urban hubs operating multiple commercial airports. The project signals a major shift in infrastructure policy under the current administration led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Aviation development in the state faced prolonged gridlock due to political resistance over land usage, echoing the famous land agitations of Singur and Nandigram that shaped regional politics for nearly two decades. The previous administration had firmly stalled central proposals for a secondary facility, citing the difficult logistics of acquiring 1,000 acres without displacing local populations.
With the policy shift, the Kalyani site has been selected to relieve pressure on the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum. The existing facility managed around 2.1 crore travellers during the 2024-25 fiscal year, nearing its optimal operational limits. Growth in commerce, tourism, and regional logistics necessitates an alternative runway to manage incoming flights.
Strategically located 50 kilometres north of the capital, Kalyani sits on vital transit routes linking the capital with the Nadia district and international borders with Bangladesh. This positioning allows the project to serve expanding satellite towns like New Town and Rajarhat. Globally, economic nerve centres like London, New York, and Tokyo successfully employ multi-airport models to sustain long-term trade. Once the civil aviation regulators grant formal clearances, this secondary facility will establish eastern India's first dual-airport urban zone.
