Kolkata airport mosque blocks secondary runway, says Ministry of Civil Aviation
A mosque inside Kolkata's airport—the Bankra Mosque, dating back to the 1890s—is obstructing the safe extension and full utilization of the secondary runway by displacing its northern end by 88 meters.
This came up after West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya flagged the issue in Parliament.
Why does it matter?
Because the mosque sits right where airport upgrades are needed, it's stopping plans to extend the runway and add a new taxi track—improvements that are likely to let more flights take off and land each hour.
Political leaders have called out security and efficiency concerns, but efforts to move the mosque haven't worked for years.
For now, modernization is on hold while both sides remain at a standstill, with delays also attributed to pending BCAS security clearances.