‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport saw 24% more passengers since last year, figure likely to go up’
Officials said at least 25,000 passengers had travelled to and from Kolkata during the four days of Durga Puja.
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The number of passengers is expected to increase further by the end of the current fiscal year, officials added. (Representational image)
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata has registered 16 million passengers in the 2016-17 fiscal year, showing a growth of around 24 per cent from the previous year, Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials said. The number of passengers is expected to increase further by the end of the current fiscal year, officials added.
According to statistics shared by the AAI, 12.76 million passengers travelled to and from Kolkata airport in 2015-16. Nearly 13 million passengers used the integrated terminal in 2016, up from 10 million a couple of years ago. Of this, 10.61 million were domestic passengers, and 2.15 million were international travellers. The integrated terminal was designed to handle 20 million passengers a year. Similarly, in 2014-15, total passenger traffic was recorded as 10.92 million, of which 1.93 million were international passengers and 8.99 million were domestic travellers.
“In the 2016-17 fiscal year, 13.59 million passengers travelled to and from Kolkata for domestic destinations, while 2.23 million people were international passengers, taking the number of total passengers to 15.82 million,” said NSCBI Airport Director Atul Dixit.
The growth in number of international passengers has been nominal in the last two fiscal years, said officials. The new terminal was inaugurated in 2013, and initially, recorded only around 10 million passengers. Sources said the airport is now planning a third terminal, which is most likely to be constructed north of the current integrated terminal, to cater to domestic passengers and increase the capacity of the airport to 40 million passengers annually.
Officials said the airport has also registered 24 per cent growth in revenue. The revenue for 2015-16 was Rs 863 crore,which went up to Rs 1,073 crore in 2016-17. Better amenities and services have helped increase the popularity of the airport, the officials added.
Passenger growth registered in 2016-17. Photo Courtesy: AAI
Pictures and videos of the airport had gone viral when, during Durga Puja, a group of women dressed in the traditional white and red sari, had danced at the terminal. “Floors were decorated with flowers, people were dancing to the beats of dhak. It was an amazing experience. In the last few years, the number of brands that have come up at Kolkata airport, and the kind of facilities they offer is amazing. I don’t feel bored if I am at Kolkata airport, like I was a few years ago,” said Amrita Sen Dutta, a frequent traveller.
Officials said at least 25,000 passengers had travelled to and from Kolkata during the four days of Durga Puja.
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