‘From 26 million passengers to 45 million annually’: Kolkata Airport’s old domestic terminal to be demolished for new international facility

Demolition of the old domestic terminal is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early next year. In its place, a new U-shaped terminal will come up, initially meant exclusively for international operations. Once operational, the new international terminal will add capacity for 2 million passengers annually.

To address growing passenger traffic in the interim, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also planned an expansion of the existing terminal’s international areas. The departure section will be expanded by 3,000 sq m, and the arrival section by 2,600 sq m. This 71,000 sq ft modular addition will increase total capacity from 26 million to 28 million passengers per annum (2.8 crore), with completion targeted for the end of this year.

Sources at the airport said that after the new international terminal becomes operational, the existing integrated terminal, 222,973 sq m in size, will be converted for exclusive domestic use with a revised handling capacity of 34 million passengers annually.

The old domestic terminal, built in 1995 with a capacity of 5 million passengers annually and a built-up area of 2.4 lakh sq ft, has remained unused for regular operations since the current integrated terminal opened in 2013. However, the building continued to serve key functions. During the pandemic, it housed a quarantine facility and later operated an RT-PCR testing centre for international travellers (2020–22). It has also been used for Haj flight operations.

“Upon full completion of these projects, NSCBI Airport’s total annual passenger handling capacity — combining both the converted domestic terminal and the new international terminal — is projected to reach 45 million. Of this, 36 million will be for domestic passengers and 9 million for international,” an airport official said.

Officials said this expansion will help future-proof the airport against rising passenger demand in the coming decades and strengthen its position as a major aviation hub in the region.