Kolkata airport to be modernised

Kolkata, Dec 30 (ANI): Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has launched about 20 billion rupees modernisation plan for Kolkata airport.

Patel while addressing the gathering here last evening said that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) would bear the entire expenses.

"The entire amount of modernisation of this airport at the cost close to 20 billion rupees has been taken up entirely with the resources of the airport society of India. For Chennai and Kolkata airport society is not going to borrow a single rupee," said Patel.

The project is expected to be completed by May 2011, he added.

The upgrade will raise the airport's passenger handling capacity to around 20 million annually from the present 4.9 million.

Patel further added that AAI has planned modernisation of 35 non-metro airports and the work for which is expected to complete soon.

"Besides the four major cities Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, we have identified 35 major non-metro airports. I am happy to say that work has already started, on some it is already complete and on some it is already in the process of completion of all these 35 non-metro airports," said Patel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone of the modernisation of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport that would include a new terminal, modern taxiways and extension of runaways. (ANI)