Durgapur/ Kolkata: Close to three months after a star-studded take-off with Tollywood celebrities the Kaji Nazrul Islam airport in Durgapur is in trouble. Two non-scheduled flight operators -- Pinnacle Air and Spirit Airways-- have suspended operations and Air India's lone flight on the Kolkata-Durgapur route is faced with a low demand. Now, it's left to Bengal Aerotrolplis (BAPL) to go all out to keep the airport afloat.
Pinnacle Air, which was running flights from Kolkata to Cooch Behar four times-a-week, touching down at Durgapur and Bagdogra, along with Air India marked the beginning of commercial operation at Andal airport on May 18 this year. But poor demand has prompted it to suspend operations within months.
Spirit Airways, a non-scheduled flight operator, started three days-a-week services on the Kolkata-Andal-Patna route in mid-June. But it took them only a few weeks to decide that the service was not viable. When asked, regional manager (operations) of Spirit Airlines Gouranga Bhattacharya, did not want to comment on this.
Air India's six days a week Durgapur-Kolkata flight is also struggling to get passengers with the effect that the airport-surrounding looks nearly-deserted. Apart from a couple of CISF personnel and a handful of Air India staff roaming around, the site is anything but airport-like.
06/08/15 Probal Basak/Business Standard
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
Pinnacle Air, which was running flights from Kolkata to Cooch Behar four times-a-week, touching down at Durgapur and Bagdogra, along with Air India marked the beginning of commercial operation at Andal airport on May 18 this year. But poor demand has prompted it to suspend operations within months.
Spirit Airways, a non-scheduled flight operator, started three days-a-week services on the Kolkata-Andal-Patna route in mid-June. But it took them only a few weeks to decide that the service was not viable. When asked, regional manager (operations) of Spirit Airlines Gouranga Bhattacharya, did not want to comment on this.
Air India's six days a week Durgapur-Kolkata flight is also struggling to get passengers with the effect that the airport-surrounding looks nearly-deserted. Apart from a couple of CISF personnel and a handful of Air India staff roaming around, the site is anything but airport-like.
06/08/15 Probal Basak/Business Standard
