India’s First Aerotropolis City boosts Regional Air Connectivity in West Bengal

The city of Durgapur got its first commercial airport up and running recently, which was named after the famous poet  Kazi Nazrul Islam. The airport is named – KNI (Kazi Nazrul Islam) airport. It is the country’s first private Greenfield airport. The airport has been developed by a company named Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL). The technical knowhow has been hired from a Singapore based firm named – Changi Airports International, who has given its expertise in developing state of the art infrastructure for this project. 

The airport currently is fully operational with flights that run six days a week from Durgapur to Kolkata. The Durgapur – New Delhi flights have also been added to the schedule. The company have plans to expand its flight network to more cities across India. 

In the initial stages, i.e. about a year back it was the Pinnacle Air, which had an agreement with the Indian State Government, to have connectivity between Durgapur – Kolkata. Now the Air India has also joined the operations. Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited or BAPL had an agreement with the government of West Bengal to give physical as well as technical support to this project.

The Aerotropolis as developed by BAPL consists of several divisions, out of which the airport is just a part. The other major segment is the Skycity named – Sujalaam. 

The Managing Director Mr. Partha Ghosh of BAPL comments – The Aerotropolis, Sujalaam – the skycity is the first of its kind in the whole India, and sixth in the world. The airport holds an area of 650 acres and is the main centre of attraction of this Aerotropolis. With the advent of this project, India is supposed to see a marked shift from a traditional city airport to an airport city.

The total investments so far has crossed over Rupees ten thousand crores. This includes the investments as incurred in the airport, its infrastructures and the airport city. Mr. Partha Ghosh as comments about the Sujalaam skycity – their next step will be to enhance the Skycity to make it an industrial sky zone, an Information Technology Sky park, a logistic hub, a multi-disciplinary hospital and a residential township. BAPL is also working with the government of Punjab to develop similar project in the city of Ludhiana.

The nearby area that connect directly to this Aerotropolis are Asansol, Raniganj, Burdwan and Andal. Asansol is the 42nd fastest growing city in the world. The Raniganj – Asansol belt is considered as India’s largest commodity trade centres, due to its riches in mineral deposits. 

Author’s bio: Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited is an infrastructure company that identifies and improves Aerotropolis Projects in India. Mr. Partha Ghosh is the main person behind this Sujalaam skycity project. The endeavours of Mr Partha Ghosh are great that makes the BAPL project see a grand success.