Behala Flying Club, all but closed for want of funds, is a grazing ground for cattle now. A Telegraph picture

A lone Cessna-152 waiting in the hangar of the country’s oldest flying institute bears testimony to its glorious past. The grass has overrun the compound outside and cattle happily graze. The runway is in a shambles. The institute does not have enough flight instructors or even aircraft to survive.

All this is set to change, as the state government has decided to put in motion a revival package to save Behala Flying Club from closure.

A marathon meeting that state transport minister Subhas Chakraborty held with senior officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other government agencies decided to work towards saving — and not closing — the only flying club in Bengal.

“We have decided to restore the club to its glory. At the moment, we are speaking to two private companies, who are interested in collaborating for its revival. We are not in a position to disclose the financial aspects or the names of the companies right away. Maybe in a few days, we can make an announcement,” minister Chakraborty told Metro.

According to aviation sources, the government is looking at an immediate Rs 20-lakh revival project for the club. The club has sent up more than 50 pilots to various airlines in the city and across the country in the past few decades.

A Higher Secondary in science is all the qualification required for pilot’s training. After 250 hours of flying, costing Rs 4,000 per hour, a pilot’s licence is obtained, that can secure a job with any airline.

“This club has such a rich history. I sincerely hope that it will start functioning again. The 30-odd employees will, hopefully, have something to cheer about soon,” said club director Amal Roy.

For the past 20 years, the club has shut down several times. Till 2003, only 10 hours of flight was possible. Since then, a Cessna, the only one available with the club, has never flown and now, with the government’s plans of reviving the club, things can only change for the better.

Hailing the government’s decision to revive the flying club, Praveen Seth, regional executive director of AAI (national division), said it would help ensure that more youths realise their dreams of becoming pilots. “The government has taken a positive stand,” he added.

A spokesman for the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association also welcomed the government move and hoped the immense contribution that the club has made for the past several decades will “not go waste”.

The flying club, spread across 300 acres in west Behala, opened its doors way back in 1947. In 1963, the state government took it over from the Union government under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Since then, financial constraints have plagued its progress. From seven aircraft in the 1960s to just three in 1999, the club has gone into one long downward spiral.

To make matters worse, two Pushpak aircraft were declared unfit by the authorities, making the Cessna, currently on lease from the Aero Club in Delhi, the only aircraft available for training. The number of flying instructors has dwindled from four in 1964 to just one in 1984.