More foreign flights on Kolkata airport radar

Kolkata airport authorities are in talks with several foreign airlines for the commencement of their services, a senior official of the Airport Authority of India said on Wednesday.

"We are in talks were several airlines like Turkish Airlines, Ethihad and Japan Airlines for starting their services from the Kolkata airport," AAI director of the city airport B P Sharma said.

He said talks were also being held with German carrier Lufthansa to consider resumption of its flights from the city.

Sharma said certain policies would have to be changed to facilitate operations of the foreign airlines from the city.

Speaking at an interactive session organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, Sharma said that another Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) would be spent for aircraft handling and maintenance at the terminal.

As the passenger traffic grows, he said there could be a possibility of creation of a new terminal in the coming years.

Sharma said sustainability of the airlines was the key to growth of the civil aviation sector.

Image: An image of Goddess Durga embellishes the wall of the new Kolkata airport. Photograph: Abhiroop Dey Sarkar