Bengal pushes for direct flights from Kolkata to Europe and America, gains all party support

The West Bengal state government has passed a resolution in the assembly, urging the resumption of direct flights from Kolkata to international destinations such as Europe and America. The proposal, which received unanimous support, was welcomed by both the ruling party and the opposition. Speaking on the matter, state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya emphasized that hundreds of people would benefit daily if these flights were resumed, citing convenience for travelers and enhanced global connectivity for the region.

The BJP, the principal opposition party, also expressed its agreement with the proposal, highlighting the bipartisan consensus on the importance of expanding Kolkata’s international air links. With this resolution, the state government aims to push for action from relevant authorities and aviation stakeholders to make Kolkata a major hub for international travel once again.

State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya earlier said, “It was a matter of pride for the Kolkata Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport that many flights were there which directly went to the United States of America or Europe. But gradually, all those flight operations were stopped. The ‘international’ character of the airport of Kolkata also diminished. Nowadays, we are getting recognition from across the world, but we have no direct flights to Europe and America.”

Currently, travellers rely on connecting flights to fly to the US and European countries from Kolkata. Although there are 137 direct international flights operated by Air India from the Kolkata airport, there are no direct flights to US and Europe.