More overseas flights from Kolkata

As a recognition of Kolkata's industrial resurgence, Air-India has decided to increase the number of flights connecting Kolkata.

Speaking at the seminar 'Focus West Bengal: Enhancing air connectivity and infrastructure' organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, V Thulasidas, chairman and managing director of Air-India, said the carrier would increase hub and spoke flights and also introduce non-stop Kolkata-London flights from April-May 2005.

At present there were two AI flights between Kolkata and Mumbai every week. By summer 2005, there would be three Kolkata-London flights every week.

Air-India Express, the budget airline from the Air-India stable, slated for launch in the summer of 2005, would also connect Kolkata to Bangkok and Singapore by the winter of this year. Further, Air-India would step up its cargo operations from Kolkata.

The cargo volume from Kolkata was at 600 tonne currently, but was expected to go upto 800 tonne.

Once the Kolkata-London flight starts operating it would double. However, Nilotpal Basu, member of Parliament and chairman of the Parliamentary committee on transport and tourism, said hub and spoke flights were not good enough given the demand in Kolkata.

He said, it was time that direct flights from the city were introduced. West Bengal minister for information technology (IT), Manabendra Mukherjee, also asked Thulasidas for more direct flights.

At present, there were only 8-9 airlines operating in Kolkata, when 38 countries had the rights to operate flights.

Anup Singh, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), suggested that a consultative committee be formed as a travel and airport advisory council in Kolkata with stakeholders from business, airlines, airports authority, state government, cargo shippers, customs and police authorities to enable regular interaction and resolve issues on a continuous basis. ICC would like daily flights connecting Europe and south east Asia from Kolkata.

"Long haul flights from the Pacific Rim to Europe and the American continent could use Kolkata as a refuelling base. Also, new code sharing flights could be explored where we do not have adequate aircraft but possess vacant slots in international airports" said Singh.