'AAI must start Kolkata airport modernisation'

Kolkata, Jul 05: Kolkata airport modernisation project may soon take off after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee urged the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to expedite the process.

AAI executive director SPS Bakshi has said that the Union Cabinet would take the final decision on who would modernise Kolkata and Chennai airports.

Aeroports de Paris, a french company, had submitted the blueprint for the new international terminal in Kolkata a year ago. The project, however, could not start as the aviation ministry did not give the green signal to the project.

'' However, AAI had already begun the groundwork. The runway extension is underway. The modernisation project would start only after the AAI headquarters issues the work order,'' NSCBI Airport director V K Monga said yesterday.

AAI sources said Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel wanted to replicate Delhi and Mumbai model in Kolkata also.

Meanwhile, the state government has also planned to start an air taxi operation for connecting industrial and tourism hubs in the state.

UNI