India’s civil aviation network is undergoing a major shift. After the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Kolkata urban region is expected to become the third metro area in India to have multiple commercial airports.
The West Bengal government has announced plans for a greenfield airport near Kalyani, about 50 km north of Kolkata, reviving a long-discussed proposal that had remained stalled for years.
Once completed, the project would give the Kolkata Metropolitan Area a second airport alongside the existing Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum.
The announcement was made during the West Bengal Budget 2026–27, where Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the airport would be developed to improve connectivity and support regional economic growth.
The move comes after earlier opposition from the previous state government led by Mamata Banerjee, which had resisted the Centre’s push for a second airport citing large-scale land acquisition concerns. With the current BJP-led administration in place, the Kalyani proposal has regained momentum.
If completed, Kolkata would join a small group of Indian metropolitan regions with multiple airports.
Delhi NCR was the first, initially served mainly by Indira Gandhi International Airport before adding operations at Hindon and later Noida International Airport at Jewar, expanding its aviation capacity significantly.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region became the second such cluster, with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport operating near capacity and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport designed to ease congestion and expand future traffic handling.
The proposed Kolkata–Kalyani airport would make eastern India home to the country’s third multi-airport metropolitan system.
Globally, cities like London, New York, Tokyo, and Paris already rely on multiple airports to manage high passenger volumes and cargo demand, and such systems are considered standard for large urban centres.
Kolkata currently handles over 2 crore passengers annually, and demand is expected to rise with growth in trade, tourism, and regional economic activity.
A second airport could help ease congestion at the existing airport and improve connectivity to northern Kolkata and surrounding districts, including Kalyani and nearby growth corridors.
However, the idea is not new. Several locations, including Kalyani, Andal, and parts of South 24 Parganas, have been evaluated over the years, but land acquisition issues and regulatory hurdles have delayed progress.
Earlier opposition stemmed from concerns over displacement of residents and the scale of land required for the project.
The latest budget announcement signals renewed momentum for the proposal, pending central approvals and aviation regulatory clearances.
