Kolkata airport’s ambition to attract direct flights to London and other European cities is being shaped by a less glamorous but important question: can its international terminal offer airlines and passengers the level of service expected from a global gateway? Airline officials operating from the city say the answer will depend partly on improvements to shops, lighting, signage, washrooms and basic passenger amenities.
The issue has acquired significance after Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the Centre would discuss the possibility of direct flights from Calcutta to London and other European cities with airlines operating in India. The discussion followed a request from chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, according to the report. No direct European service has been announced in the supplied material. Instead, the immediate focus is on whether the airport’s international section is ready to support such an expansion.
That distinction matters because airline connectivity is not determined only by runway capacity or the availability of aircraft. Airports also function as commercial and service environments. Passengers spend time in check-in areas, security holds, immigration zones, retail spaces and washrooms. For international travellers, these spaces form their first and last impression of a city. Airline officials cited by the report said Kolkata’s international departure area needs to be comparable with its domestic section before the airport can present itself as a stronger international gateway.
The criticism is specific rather than general. The international security hold area has fewer food and beverage outlets than the domestic section, and officials said it does not have stores selling Bengal’s traditional sweets. International passengers who want to buy mishti before departure may be uncertain whether products purchased outside the terminal will be allowed through security in hand baggage. Since international passengers cannot access the domestic security hold area, airline staff sometimes buy the sweets on their behalf, according to the report.
This is a small operational detail, but it illustrates a larger problem in airport planning: passenger experience is shaped by the coordination of security rules, retail planning and local identity. A product associated with Bengal is available within one part of the airport but not another. The constraint is not necessarily demand; it is the organisation of commercial space and the conditions under which passengers move through the terminal.
Airport sources attributed the shortage of outlets to rigid tender clauses and high rates for commercial space. These terms can make it difficult for brands to enter or remain in an airport, particularly in a section with lower passenger volumes than a busy domestic concourse. The result is a circular problem. Limited retail reduces the quality of the passenger environment, while a less attractive environment may make the international section less competitive as the airport seeks new services.
The closure of duty-free stores has added to the gap. The report said the Airports Authority of India did not extend the contract with the agency operating the facility. A new agency has been awarded the tender, but customs clearance is still awaited. Airport officials said the new agency had begun installing infrastructure and that clearance was expected soon. Until the facility resumes operations, a prominent component of the international passenger experience remains absent.
The case shows how airport expansion can depend on administrative processes that are not visible in route announcements. A new airline service may require discussions with carriers, but the airport must also manage tenders, customs permissions, commercial rents, maintenance contracts and terminal operations. These functions involve different institutional responsibilities and timelines. Delays in one part of the system can affect the overall impression of readiness even when the physical terminal remains operational.
Lighting and signage are another part of the airport’s international gateway problem. Airline officials described the international departure area as dull and dimly lit compared with the domestic section. They suggested that a large display board, similar to one near gates 3A and 3B in the domestic departure area, could make the international space brighter and provide information about airport programmes.
These observations point to the importance of wayfinding and visual management in a large transport facility. Signage is not merely decorative. It helps passengers understand where to go, what services are available and how the terminal is organised. A poorly signposted or visually inactive space can increase uncertainty, particularly for international passengers who may be unfamiliar with the airport. The report does not establish that signage alone has affected airline decisions, but it records airline officials’ view that the international section needs a more complete and comparable passenger environment.
Washrooms represent a more basic measure of terminal performance. The condition of the international washrooms had earlier drawn criticism for being smelly, wet and poorly maintained. Renovation has improved the situation, but passengers and airline officials said further work is needed. A frequent flier cited in the report said gutkha stains still appeared in washbasins at times and that lighting could be brighter. The passenger also said the facilities were not yet comparable with those at Mumbai or Delhi airports.
The airport’s response has focused on routine maintenance rather than a single cosmetic upgrade. A senior airport official said deep cleaning was being carried out periodically in washrooms and check-in areas using specialised chemicals to remove stains. The process also includes measures addressing ventilation and other technical issues. Two groups have been formed to monitor facilities: one for daily maintenance and another for daily housekeeping. According to the official, they inspect the airport each day for technical or operational problems and ensure that housekeeping staff are stationed in washrooms for periodic cleaning.
This arrangement is significant because airport quality is often determined by the consistency of everyday operations. A newly renovated washroom can deteriorate quickly if cleaning, ventilation, inspection and repairs are not sustained. The creation of dedicated monitoring groups suggests that the airport is trying to move from occasional intervention to continuous oversight. However, the supplied report does not provide performance data, inspection results or passenger satisfaction figures that would show how effective the system has been.
Some basic facilities remain missing. Airport sources said money changers were still unavailable in the international section, while the agency providing luggage-wrapping services had left the airport a few days earlier. These services may appear secondary compared with aircraft operations, but their absence affects the practical experience of international travel. Passengers departing for overseas destinations often need access to currency services and luggage-related support within the terminal. Their availability also contributes to the airport’s role as a complete gateway rather than simply a place to board an aircraft.
The airport is also carrying out painting and maintenance work in the car park. Painting on the upper level has been completed, while work in the basement was under way, according to an airport official. This work is not directly linked to European flight operations, but it forms part of the wider effort to improve the terminal environment from arrival to departure. For passengers, the airport experience begins before check-in and extends through access roads, parking, entry points, security, retail and boarding.
Kolkata’s Europe connectivity discussion therefore exposes a broader infrastructure question. How should an airport prepare for new international routes when the physical facility exists but service standards, commercial offerings and maintenance systems are uneven? The report suggests that the challenge is not limited to adding destinations to a route map. It also involves making the international section commercially viable, operationally reliable and recognisably connected to the city it serves.
The institutional landscape is similarly layered. The Centre and the civil aviation ministry may discuss route possibilities with airlines. The Airports Authority of India is involved in airport contracts and concessions. Customs clearance affects the reopening of duty-free retail. Airport officials oversee maintenance, housekeeping and facility upgrades, while airlines provide feedback based on passenger interaction. None of these actors controls the entire passenger journey. Attracting direct European services therefore depends on coordination across policy, airport management, commercial operations and airline planning.
The evidence currently establishes a policy conversation and a list of airport improvements, not a confirmed European route. It also shows that some work is already under way: washrooms have been renovated, deep cleaning is being conducted, monitoring groups have been formed, duty-free infrastructure is being installed and car-park painting is in progress. At the same time, the report records continuing gaps in retail, currency exchange, luggage wrapping, lighting, signage and washroom quality.
For Kolkata, the international terminal has become a test of whether airport infrastructure can combine connectivity with the everyday details that make connectivity usable. The next measurable milestones will be the customs clearance and reopening of duty-free stores, the arrival of missing basic services, the completion of maintenance work and any formal outcome from discussions between the Centre and airlines over direct European flights.
