Kolkata international airport to undertake runway, taxiway work to take on A380 super jumbo
05 May 2008
Kolkata: The international airport at Kolkata, the state capital of West Bengal, will have its runway expanded and also see the construction of a new taxiway in order to accommodate the Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial aircraft. Airport officials said that the work will be complete by 2009-end.
"We plan to extend the 2,400-metre runway at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport by 840 metres. A taxiway with a minimum width of 23 metres will be built to make room for the wide-bodied aircraft. The taxi shoulders will be around 30 metres wide to avoid damaging the wings of the A380," airport director, VK Monga, told reporters.
According to the official, while the Airports Authority of India will incur an expenditure of Rs2 crore on the project, the government of West Bengal will invest Rs3 crore.
