Kolkata airport may not get fancy ATC tower

Kolkata: The iconic torch-shaped air traffic control (ATC) tower that was to be the crowning glory of the modern Kolkata airport may be put in the backburner if the Airport Authority of India (AAI) fails to raise funds from the market through infrastructure bonds.
AAI is desperate to raise Rs 5,000 crore to meet the funding gap in a planned expenditure of Rs 12,500 crore for modernizing 40 airports, including Kolkata. But with the Centre yet to give its nod, AAI may be forced to shelve some projects and the fancy ATC tower could be a casualty.
In September, AAI chairman V P Agrawal had spelt out the agency's crisis. "Meeting the revenue gap is critical for AAI to continue work on ongoing projects. We have been holding back new projects for four to five months and don't intend to take them up till the revenue shortfall is met," he had said.
Though Agrawal insisted Kolkata and Chennai airports that were flagship projects would continue as scheduled, sources said non-critical areas of the project could take the hit to keep the essential sections going.
10/11/09 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Nov 2009