A fresh physical land survey at Kolkata’s Behala Flying Club has begun as the Airports Authority of India and state officials assess whether the dormant airfield can support small scheduled flights, air ambulances and chartered operations.
Kolkata | September 10, 2026 — The survey follows a recent preliminary drone assessment of the flying club’s land holdings, encroachments and flight-path clearances. The findings will help determine whether the airfield’s 915-metre runway can accommodate small aircraft and what infrastructure and safety measures would be required.
The survey was launched on Wednesday after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari pushed for the revival of the Behala facility. State sports and youth affairs minister and Behala West MLA Indranil Khan visited the airport and said the drone survey had indicated that nine- to 19-seater aircraft could potentially operate from the site if encroachments were removed.
“The drone survey led experts to believe that nine- to 19-seater aircraft could operate here, once encroachments are removed,” Khan told The Times of India. “This physical check will clear doubts on the feasibility for small, scheduled flight operations, besides air ambulance services. Technical constraints and possible solutions will be identified.”
The physical assessment is expected to examine the condition and extent of the airport land, the boundary, obstacles around the airfield and the available clearance along the aircraft approach path. Aviation experts have identified high-rise buildings near the facility and the narrow approach road as possible constraints on operations.
An AAI official also told Khan that obstacles around the airfield would have to be mapped and removed before operations could begin. State and AAI officials have additionally flagged encroachments and the absence of a complete boundary wall as significant hurdles.
“Our priority is to demarcate the boundary and secure the perimeter with a wall. We have identified several encroachers,” Khan said.
The Behala Flying Club was previously a prominent pilot-training facility but has remained largely dormant for years. The site has seen only occasional private helicopter movements during that period. Its proposed revival would therefore require decisions on land security, obstacle clearance, runway feasibility and supporting infrastructure before any regular service could be considered.
The state’s immediate plan is to make the facility suitable for air ambulances and small aircraft. Wider commercial operations would be examined later, subject to the outcome of the physical survey and the technical requirements identified by the Airports Authority of India.
