On record
Opened May 18, 2015 by private developer Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd at a cost of roughly ₹1,000 crore, the airport saw two of its three launch carriers, Pinnacle Air and Spirit Airways, collapse within months from lack of demand, since nearby trains and buses proved cheaper and equally fast. Even Air India's surviving Kolkata route ran at only 30-35% occupancy (about 15 passengers/day), forcing fare cuts from ₹2,500 to ₹999 to attract any traffic.
The official record states: "Operator BAPL and officials attributed the failure to competition from cheap, convenient road/rail alternatives on short routes and the extra time overhead (2-hour check-in for a 45-minute flight) that made flying commercially unattractive."
“A thousand-crore private airport whose airlines collapsed faster than its terminal could open.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
- https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/months-after-take-off-durgapur-airport-struggles-to-stay-afloat-115080600874_1.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazi_Nazrul_Islam_Airport
Visitor reviews Satire
“Two of the three launch airlines went out of business within months, which is faster than the terminal was built.”
“Fifteen passengers a day on the Kolkata route and fares cut from twenty-five hundred to nine hundred and ninety-nine to find them.”
“A thousand crore of private airport at Andal, beaten comfortably by the train, which is cheaper and no slower.”
