A fresh survey of the Behala Flying Club started on Saturday as part of efforts to revive the airstrip.
BJP MLA from Behala West, Indranil Khan, visited the facility during the survey. A drone-based exercise to demarcate the boundary was done.
“For years, the absence of proper land demarcation, missing boundary walls, and encroachments had stalled critical infrastructure work. Since a complete boundary wall around the airport is a mandatory requirement for making the airport operational, the issue had remained a significant obstacle,” a government official said.
Khan told Metro: “Our priority is to demarcate the boundary and secure the perimeter with a wall. We have identified several encroachers on the premises. The erstwhile government has done little to develop this space”.
Sources said around 100 encroachments have been identified.
“Today’s survey is a significant step forward. Once the data is incorporated into the mouza map, encroachments will be identified and removed, allowing construction of the remaining boundary wall and bringing Behala Airport closer to becoming operational,” the official said.
Over the decades, the Behala Flying Club has declined from a pilot-training institute into a largely dormant airfield. With little air traffic beyond occasional private helicopters, repeated efforts have been made to revive the flight-training school and put the facility back to use.
Sources in AAI said there were several problems plaguing the area. “There are several encroachments. The approach road is too narrow. Many tall buildings in the vicinity pose a hindrance to regular flight operations,” said an official.
“Initially, we want to make the airport operational for air ambulances and small aircraft, such as nine-seaters,” Khan said.