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There is also an airport in India where a mosque is present within the safety line of the runway. This unique situation is neither in Andhra Pradesh, nor in Uttar Pradesh nor in Madhya Pradesh, but in Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI Airport). The Bankra Mosque located here is the only structure of its kind in the country, which falls directly in the middle of the runway alignment and has been a challenge to aircraft safety for years.

100 year old mosque

Bankra Masjid was built around 1890 and is spread over an area of ​​about 1,200 square feet. The airport was built several decades later. When Kolkata Airport was built in the 20th century and then expanded in the 1960s, the mosque came within the limits of the expanded airport complex. It was later revealed that the location of the mosque fell directly within the flight-safety zone of the runway, which is considered an obstruction as per international aviation rules.

Big impact on the capacity of the second runway

Kolkata Airport has two parallel runways, the main runway and the secondary runway. The main runway handles most flights, but the secondary runway is extremely useful in conditions such as main strip closure or fog. Due to the presence of the mosque, the northern threshold of the secondary runway had to be moved back by approximately 88 metres, reducing its total useful length. Officials say this situation affects operational safety during landing, take-off and emergency situations. This risk increases especially in foggy weather.

Serious deficiencies in runway safety standards

According to Airport Authority of India (AAI) rules, there should be a clear area of ​​at least 240 meters at the end of the runway so that the aircraft can safely stop or handle an overshoot situation. But due to the mosque, this area has remained only 160 meters, which is much less than the standard. Let us tell you that after the Kozhikode plane crash, seriousness regarding runway safety increased again in the entire country and this case of Kolkata again attracted attention.

AAI and the West Bengal government have held several meetings on this issue, but no solution was found due to the opposition to the transfer by the mosque committee. Officials have also suggested alternative solutions, such as providing access by building a tunnel or creating a controlled-entry system. But no final decision has been taken yet.

As traffic increased, anxiety also increased.

Kolkata Airport is the main gateway to Eastern India and millions of passengers travel through it every year. Despite the rapid expansion of the airport and increasing flight movement, this obstruction on the secondary runway has become a major hindrance in the way of capacity increase.