Bagdogra Airport

Bagdogra Airport (IATA: IXB, ICAO: VEBD) is a customs airport serving the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. It is located in Bagdogra, 12 km (7.5 mi) south-west from the city centre.^[4] It is operated as a civil enclave at Bagdogra Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway to the hill stations of Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and other parts of North Bengal region. Siliguri, being a major transport and economic hub, the airport sees thousands of travellers and tourists annually. The Government of India conferred limited international airport status to the airport in 2002 with limited international operations to Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi and Paro. This is the second busiest airport in West Bengal.

Bagdogra Airport
Bagdogra Airport with the scenic Darjeeling Hills in the background
IATA: IXB ICAO: VEBD
Summary
Airport type	Military/Public
Owner	Indian Air Force
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Siliguri
Location	Bagdogra, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Hub for	SpiceJet IndiGo
Elevation AMSL	126 m / 412 ft
Coordinates	26°40′52″N 088°19′43″E
Website	www.aai.aero/en/airports/bagdogra
Map
IXB/VEBD Show map of West Bengal IXB/VEBD Show map of India
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 2,754 9,035 Concrete/Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 - March 2024)
Passengers 3,118,368 ( 22%) Aircraft movements 20,838 ( 16.2%) Cargo tonnage 8,445 ( 6.1%)
Source: Airports Authority of India[1][2][3]

Apron of the airport

The airport experiences humid subtropical climate (Köppen Climate Classification code: Cwa) - hot humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation in all seasons, but remains drier in winters.^[5][6] Air traffic at Bagdogra crossed 1 million for the first time, growing at 43.6% percent in 2014–15. In 2019–20, the airport served 3.2 million passengers, which was an increase of 11.2% from the previous year, making it the 17th-busiest airport in India. It is one of the few airports in India with zero sales tax on aviation turbine fuel.^[7] This airport has routes to 13 airports and serves 3 countries (India,Bhutan and Thailand). The most served route from this airport is to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

Air Force Station

The airbase is home to the IAF No. 20 Wing, as well to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Mig-21) FL fighter aircraft of the No. 8 Squadron and a Helicopter Unit.^[8] Along with the airbase at Hasimara, Alipurduar district; it is responsible for combat air operations over a large area including Northern West Bengal, Sikkim and if needed, Bhutan.^[9] The base caters to all military air traffic for the Indian Army's XXXIII Corps based nearby in Sukna.^[10]

Expansion

The Government of West Bengal had handed over 14.5 acres (5.9 ha) of land to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for developing infrastructure for night landing in 2010. AAI also expanded the apron at the same time, enabling the parking of 5 narrow body aircraft simultaneously.^[5] The IAF, which maintains the ATC and runway, gave permission for night landings by civilian aircraft allowing flights past 6 pm in 2013.

For its growing traffic over the years, in 2022, From 11 to 25 April, the airport was shut down for 14 days to refurbish its sole runway.^[11]

The new terminal building, which is scheduled to start its construction by Q2 2024,^[12] will be completed by 2026 with 16 parking bays, 10 aerobridges and a parallel taxiway to the runway. It will have a floor area of 1 lakh sq.m. at a cost of ₹ 3,000 crore, and will be capable of handling 12.5 million passengers per year. The design work of the new terminal building was done by CP Kukreja Architects as the Architectural & Engineering Consultant. And the construction bid going to Kalpataru Projects International Ltd.^[13] After the expansion of the airport, more international flights can land here, and will turn this customs airport into an international one.^[14]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air India Express[15]	Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata
Akasa Air[16]	Ahmedabad (begins 27 October 2024),[17] Bangalore, Guwahati, Mumbai
Drukair	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Paro[18][19]
IndiGo[20][21]	Bangalore, Bhubaneswar,[22] Chennai, Delhi, Durgapur,[22] Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai
SpiceJet[23]	Bangalore (ends 26 October 2024), Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata
Vistara	Delhi, Dibrugarh[24]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at IXB airport. See Wikidata query.

Accidents and incidents

• 23 May 2008: A MiG-21 of the Indian Air Force had to perform a belly landing due to a technical snag and a jammed landing gear. The aircraft hard landed on the runway causing it to catch fire. The pilot ejected safely. The aircraft was written off subsequently.^[25]
• 5 July 2013: AI879, an A320 arriving from New Delhi swerved off the taxiway while taxiing towards the apron after landing. No injuries were reported. The passengers were immediately de-boarded. The aircraft sustained minor damage and took about 7 hours to bring the stuck aircraft to the taxiway.^[26]
• 11 July 2014: A mishap was avoided between IndiGo flight 6E472 and Air India flight AI879. Both aircraft received a Traffic Collision Avoidance System warning. Following the Resolution Advisory given by the TCAS the IndiGo flight immediately descended and the Air India flight turned right. Both aircraft landed safely without any injuries.^[27]
• 15 February 2019: An Air Asia India A320 scheduled for a flight from Bagdogra Airport to Kempegowda International Airport damaged its left wing sharklets while backtracking the runway. The two pilots were later suspended for 6 months by the DGCA in view of violating laid down procedures.^[28]
• 16 December 2019: An IndiGo A320neo bound for Kolkata performed an emergency landing in view of engine related issues. The aircraft was using Pratt & Whitney engines. Out of the two engines, one engine was not modified which caused the issue.^[29]

References

1. "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
2. "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
3. "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
4. "Airports Authority of India". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
5. "Night-landing facility at Bagdogra soon". The Times of India. 16 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
6. "International status to Bagdogra airport hailed". The Times of India. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
7. "Bagdogra backs CM flight path- Tax waiver fuels air traffic growth". The Telegraph (Calcutta). Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
8. "20 Wing, Indian Air Force - Database". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
9. "Why Bhutan is special to India". The Hindu. 1 July 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
10. Indiablooms. "Air Force Station Bagdogra celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas | Indiablooms - First Portal on Digital News Management". Indiablooms.com. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
11. Niyogi, Subhro (18 January 2022). "14-day Closure Of Bagdogra Airport For Runway Repairs | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
12. "4 Bidders for Siliguri Bagdogra Airport's New Terminal Contract". The Metro Rail Guy. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
13. "Kalpataru Wins Siliguri Bagdogra Airport's New Terminal Contract". The Metro Rail Guy. 11 January 2024.
14. "Bagdogra airport set for expansion". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
15. "Our Network". Air India Express. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
16. "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
17. "Akasa Air NW24 Ahmedabad Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
18. "Bagdogra to Paro, Bangkok Drukair". www.drukair.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
19. "Bagdogra-Bangkok flight resumed: ভুটানের সঙ্গে জুড়ছে বাগডোগরা-ব্যাংকক, কবে উড়ান চালু?". Aaj Tak বাংলা (in Bengali). 4 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
20. "IndiGo Airlines Route Map and Destinations". FlightConnections.com. 29 May 2023.
21. "Flight Schedule for Domestic & International Flights". IndiGo. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
22. Pall, Samreen (11 June 2024). "Durgapur: New Direct Flights To Bhubaneswar, Bagdogra, And Guwahati To Begin Starting August End". News18. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
23. "Flight schedule". SpiceJet. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
24. "Vistara expands its wings to Dibrugarh, connects this Assam city with Delhi, Bagdogra." Financial Express. Accessed 1 March 2019.
25. "MiG 21 crashes in Bengal, pilot safe". Hindustan Times. 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
26. "Flight skids off taxiway - Air India plane stuck at bagdogra for 7 hrs". The Telegraph. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
27. "Mishap avoided at Bagdogra airport as Indigo and Air India flight avoid collision". News18 India. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
28. "DGCA suspends two AirAsia India pilots for violation". The Economic Times. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
29. "IndiGo A320neo flight diverted to Bagdogra due to engine glitch". Mint. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2021.

External links

• Bagdogra Airport at Airports Authority of India website.