Behala airport revamp takes off

Kolkata: The much-awaited Behala airport revamp will get under way with civil aviation minister Praful Patel flagging off the the first phase of the project on Sunday.
If things go as scheduled, the airport on the southern fringe of Kolkata could graduate beyond an airfield for flight training to servicing regional passenger flights in a couple of years.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) executive director (east) S P S Bakshi said Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned for upgrading the runway, installing ground lighting system and securing the facility with a boundary wall.The air traffic control tower has been equipped with a VHF set to provide navigational support.AAI has also floated tenders for installing approach lights on both ends of the 3,500-foot runway and erecting the peripheral wall. Work on these will commence next month.
Once the first phase of development is completed in six-eight months, private firm Camellia can begin operating the Cessna planes for round-the-year flight training. In the second phase, the runway will be extended to 4,500 feet to allow ATR operations. A passenger terminal will also be built.
If it gets additional land, the runway will be concretised.
22/09/07 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Sep 2007, New Sep 2007