AAI to celebrate 100 years of flight operations at Kolkata airport

The Airports Authority Of India is all set to celebrate 100 years of flight operations at Kolkata airport, officials said on Sunday. Flight operations in Kolkata airport started in 1924.

"The Airports Authority of India proudly celebrates 100 Glorious Years of #KolkataAirport @aaikolairport, a gateway that has seamlessly bridged the world with the soul of #WestBengal. Originally known as #DumDumAirport, this Iconic Airport stands as a testament to Timeless Brilliance, where History Whispers, Culture Thrives & the Skies Unite," AAI Kolkata Airport said in a post on X.

"A Century of Excellence, welcoming the world to the City of Joy!" it said. According to sources at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, the celebrations will begin from the third week of December and will continue till March end next year.

There is a possibility that Union Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu will be present at the inauguration of 100 years celebrations of the airport, sources said, adding that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may also be present on the occasion.

"We have lined up a number of events for the celebrations," Director of NSCBI airport Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria told PTI over phone. Historical exhibitions, cultural events, signature campaigns, and panel discussions will be some of the events to name a few. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was founded in the early 1900s as the Calcutta Aerodrome.

The airport traditionally served as a strategic stopover on the air route from North America and Europe to Indochina and Australia. Dakota 3 was the first aircraft to land in the airport. In 1924, KLM began scheduled stops at Calcutta, as part of their Amsterdam to Batavia (Jakarta) route. The same year, a Royal Air Force aircraft landed in Calcutta as part of the first round-the-world expedition by any air force.

Research findings show that on May 2, 1924, Mr Doycee, a French Pilot, landed his flight at this airport. On May 5, 1924 another Paris to Tokyo flight en route from Agra landed at Dumdum Airport, which drew a massive crowd. Similarly, on May 16, 1924 at 11:30 AM another flight from Allahabad landed at this Airport.

Further findings show that on November 14, 1924 during night hours a flight from Amsterdam landed at this airport for which arrangements were made by lighting large numbers of 'MASHAAL' (torch) with fuel like cloths, grass, oil, etc. Most probably, this was the first night landing by an aircraft at the airport.

According to information available at the airport, it began as an open ground next to the Royal Artillery Armoury in Dum Dum. Sir Stanley Jackson, Governor of Bengal, opened the Bengal Flying Club at Dum Dum/Calcutta aerodrome in February 1929.

Commercial airlines started operations from Kolkata soon after World War II. Kolkata became a destination for passenger aircraft, and the airport took to its wings as major airlines started utilising it for facilitating trade between continents.