Four New Airports to Come Up in West Bengal Within Two Years: Naidu

West Bengal will get four new airports within the next two years, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday, as the Centre and the state government signed an agreement for implementing the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

The four airports will be developed at Charra in Purulia, Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur, Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur and Hasimara in Alipurduar, Naidu said while speaking at the programme.

The minister said the Centre also wants Kolkata to have a second airport to meet the growing demand for air connectivity in the region.

He said Rs 29,000 crore would be spent under the UDAN scheme in West Bengal over the next 10 years, signalling a major expansion of regional air connectivity and aviation infrastructure in the state.

The agreement between the Civil Aviation Ministry and the West Bengal government is aimed at improving connectivity to more cities and towns through the UDAN scheme, which seeks to make air travel more accessible by supporting regional routes.

Naidu also urged the West Bengal government to formulate a new civil aviation policy to attract investments into the sector.

“I would also request the West Bengal government to frame a new civil aviation policy to attract investors,” he said. The proposed airports are expected to expand air connectivity beyond Kolkata and provide easier access to air travel for people in several districts.

The announcement comes as the Centre continues to focus on expanding regional aviation infrastructure and connecting smaller cities and towns with the national air transport network.

The development of a second airport for Kolkata would also add capacity to serve the metropolitan region, where demand for air travel has been rising.

The Centre and the state government are expected to work together on implementing the planned projects and expanding the reach of the UDAN scheme across West Bengal.