COOCH BEHAR AIRPORT

Cooch Behar-Kolkata : Deccan flights expected in September

After the visit of the five-member team of officials from Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) the hope for restoration of passenger flights through Cooch Behar airport is rising. It is expected that Cooch Behar-Kolkata flights may start in September.

Deputy Union minister for shipping services Mr Mukul Roy too took interest in the proposed re-launching of Cooch Behar-Kolkata air service. He came to Cooch Behar on Sunday to attend an organisational programme of the Trinamul Congress. Local leaders of his party conveyed him that the authorities were dillydallying over restoration of flights and different target dates have been differed by newer ones. A private aviation company had invited journalists to attend the inaugural ceremony of Cooch Behar-Kolkata air service on 16 August but that too proved false. Hearing the complaints the minister talked with Union civil aviation minister Mr Praful Patel over phone and requested him to take initiatives to start the flights as early as possible. He also inquired about the problems in commencement of air service at Cooch Behar airport.

On Saturday, a five-member team of AAI and BCAS officials visited the airfield and reportedly expressed their satisfaction examining the facilities added there. In the team there were AAI's regional executive director Mr Gautam Mukherjee and BCAS deputy commissioner Mr Subrata Lodh. Mr Sanjay Sehgal from Deccan Charters also accompanied them. They also attended a meeting with Cooch Behar DM Ms Smaraki Mahapatra and SP Mr Kalyan Banerjee. Later, Mr Mukherjee told reporters that the Cooch Behar-Kolkata service might commence by 15 to 20 September. It is expected that by that time the required green signal may come from the director general of civil aviation (DGCA).

It was learnt that the visiting team would submit a report to the BCAS authority in Delhi for its clearance. As security arrangement came up as the priority requirement prior to commencement of flights the clearance from the BCAS is important. The Cooch Behar SP assured to provide 30 police personnel for the security system at the airport. They would be sent for special training. In other airports CISF personnel are deployed for security but here the state police would take up the charge. Airport sources added that Rs 35-crore has been spent for modernisation of the airport and extension of the runway. According to an earlier plan 48-seater ATR aircrafts were to press on service but due to technical problems over the volume of the runway an 18-seater small aircraft of Deccan Charters would operate its flights through Cooch Behar airport.