Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (Kolkata) International Airport, India

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (Kolkata) International Airport is a civil airport located in West Bengal, India about 17km from the centre of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), named in the honour of the Bengali Indian patriot Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The airport handled almost six million passengers in 2006-07.

The airport, which is one of the top ten airports in India, handling around 310 flights a day, has three terminal buildings, which include a domestic terminal that was opened in the early 1990s (three aerobridges, 23,000m² with 42 check-in desks), an international terminal (one aerobridge, 30,000m² with 27 check-in desks) and a cargo terminal (10,000m² with special facilities, two parking bays and 1,000t capacity).

The airport has recently been undergoing a superficial refurbishment (Rs1.5bn costs) while a new fourth terminal is being constructed. The airport is controlled and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Kolkata airport is fast becoming the main hub for north-eastbound flights as it serves 31 destinations within India, close to Delhi (48) and Mumbai (46), and 69% of its flights are domestic (2006 figure).

Kolkata airport expansion

The new development project at Kolkata airport involves a great deal of modernisation and includes the construction of a new integrated terminal for international and domestic services due to an increase in passenger volume, which will give a new capacity of 16 million passengers a year.

The construction of a new two-level international terminal will have a capacity of four million passengers a year.

In addition, the project includes the extension of a second runway. VK Monga, the airport director, commented: "We plan to extend the 2,400m runway by 840m. A taxiway with a minimum width of 23m will be built to make room for the wide-bodied aircraft. The taxi shoulders will be around 30m wide to avoid damaging the wings of the A380." The runway has been extended by 440m and is further being extended by another 400m. A new third runway is also being considered but is not finalised.

The project also comprises the following:

• Six new aerobridges and parking / aprons for wide-bodied aircraft such as the A380
• A new expanded integrated cargo complex
• Ten aircraft stands for domestic apron
• Two aircraft stands for cargo apron
• Facilitation building / elevated corridor to elevated railway station
• Administration building
• New maintenance hangar
• Two new car parks
• Road infrastructure upgrades
• Upgraded communication and navigation systems (CNS)

The revamped airport will then be able to handle around 20 million passengers compared to the five million it can cope with currently.

The total cost of the project was estimated at around $1.2bn, with the first phase requiring only $386m. However, the project costs have increased and now the first phase costs stand at $461m. From this total amount $310m has been set aside for the new terminal, $24m for the new runway and cargo complex and $24m for the CNS. The project received approval from the government in April 2007. Work on the expansion project was officially launched on 29 December 2008 and is scheduled to be completed by August 2011.

The airport saw the opening of a new Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) in September 2008. It is the first of its kind in West Bengal, India. The 742.5m² facility has a 12,000 million tons annual storage capacity. It has been constructed with an aid of INR67.5m ($1.5m) from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The CPC has been under trial operations since June 2008.

Once the expansion is completed, the airport will be able to meet demand until 2015-16.

Kolkata airport runways

The airport has two parallel runways: 01R/19L (11,900ft, 3,627m) and 01L/19R (9,240ft, 2,800m). As the longer one of the two, 01R/19L is now used for take-offs and landings, and 01L/19R is used primarily as a taxiway.

The second runway 01L/19R is being extended by 840m. It has already been extended by 440m in the northern end and the remaining 400m extension is in progress, yet to be completed. This runway is also planned to be equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS).

The extension will enable the airport to increase its operations by 50%. The second runway will measure 3,200m after the extension when it will be able to handle E-category and F category aircraft such as Boeing B-747 and Airbus A-380.

Kolkata construction contract

In April 2008, following a design competition, the Airports Authority of India appointed RMJM and Sikka Associates of Delhi to design the new integrated domestic terminal at Kolkata. The first phase of this project comprises a 40,000m² two-level building that can accommodate a passenger flow of 1,800 an hour (the second phase will see the size and capacity doubled).

The first phase design shows a linear designed terminal building making full use of natural light and cooling systems (sustainable) and also incorporating features such as rainwater recycling for irrigation and the incorporation of existing trees and vegetation into the landscaped areas.

The terminal incorporates the writings of Rabindranath Tagore of Bengal (first Nobel Prize winner for literature in Asia) into the roof decoration (inside) and also into the forecourt landscaping.

The construction of the new terminal building began on 29 December 2008. Other contractors involved at this stage include: NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants, STRATA for landscape design and Benaim as the structural engineer. ADPI, in a joint venture with RMJM and other Indian based contractors, is acting as the consultant for the project.