Direct Durgapur-Delhi flight makes debut

The huge response for the first flight itself shows the demand from the region.

Durgapur’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, India’s first operational private Greenfield airport, developed by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited, is the latest addition to the country’s civil aviation network.

Air India will operate the 122-seater Airbus-319 aircraft on the Kolkata-Durgapur-New Delhi sector every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Partha Ghosh, Managing Director, BAPL, said: “We were sure that the people of Durgapur and its catchment area would welcome direct connectivity with the national capital. Till now, the people from this region had to travel all the way to Kolkata or Ranchi airports, some 200 km away, to catch their preferred flights to New Delhi or elsewhere. We are overwhelmed and thankful for the blockbuster opening, which proves our belief that there exists tremendous potential in the ADPA region, that our Aerotropolis project and our Airport are poised to cater to.”

The scheduled commercial flight [Flight No. AI 733] departs from Kolkata at 08:30am and arrives in Durgapur at 09:00 am. It takes off at 09:30 am and reaches New Delhi at 11:45 am. On the return leg, Flight No. AI 734 takes off from New Delhi at 12:35pm and reaches Durgapur at 02:40 pm. It departs Durgapur’s KNIA at 03:20 pm and reaches Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, at 03:50 pm.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had graced the inaugural flight on Dec 7.

She had said that the Durgapur-Delhi service would help in the growth of industry, commerce and also tourism in the region. She had also complimented Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) for the world-class experience offered to travellers at the country’s first private Greenfield airport.