CII demands night landing facility and overhaul in Bagdogra airport infrastructure to union civil aviation minister

Prashant Acharya, EOI, SILIGURI, 1 Dec 2017 : Introduce morning flights to and from Delhi and Kolkata, flights between Bagdogra and the Nepal capital of Katmandu, build an additional terminal at Bagdogra Airport, night landing facility and overhaul infrastructure at the airport.

These were the demands Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) North Bengal made to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapti, when a five-member CII team met him at Bagdogra Airport Lounge on Friday. The Minister was accompanied by Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Raju was on his way back to New Delhi from Gangtok.

“Not only is Siliguri the Gateway to the North East India, it also shares boundaries with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. It is the second largest city in West Bengal, and its importance as a major trading and logistical centre is growing by the day. Moreover, Siliguri attracts countless domestic as well as overseas tourists. There are many more reasons why we placed the demands to the Union Minister,” said the Vice Chairman of CII North Bengal, Anand Mittal, who led the CII team.

“It is high time Bagdogra Airport grew in size in order to cater to the growing needs of Siliguri and North Bengal as a whole. The expansion of Bagdogra will certainly serve as a fillip to businesses in the region which will in turn give a boost to the local economy,” Ratan Kumar Bihani, Past Chairman, CII North Bengal, said, adding, “We are happy that the Minister gave a patient hearing to us and promised to place all our demands at the appropriate level.”