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India’s Only Airport With Mosque On Its Runway Alignment — Not In Andhra, Uttar Pradesh Or Madhya Pradesh But In...
India’s Only Airport With Mosque On Its Runway: West Bengal's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI Airport) in Kolkata, is among the busiest airports of the country. Notably, this is probably the only airport in India with a mosque in operation area. An unlikely relic — a 130-year-old mosque — lies perilously close to an operational runway of the airport. The presence of Bankra Mosque on the northern edge of the secondary runway has resurfaced as a major safety concern for the nation’s civil aviation authorities, especially in the wake of renewed scrutiny on runway safety following recent high-profile aviation accidents.
Mosque On The Runway
The Bankra Mosque predates the airport itself, having existed since around 1890 on approximately 1,200 sq ft of land. When the aerodrome was built in the early 20th century and later expanded in the 1960s with more land acquisition, the mosque ended up inside the extended airport perimeter. This unusual placement eventually positioned the religious structure within the flight-safety zone of the airstrip — something authorities realized much later.
Runway Hit
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Kolkata Airport operates two parallel runways. The primary runway handles most traffic, while the secondary runway supports operations when the main strip is unavailable. However, the presence of the mosque has forced the northern threshold of the secondary runway to be shifted by about 88 metres, reducing its usable length and flight-handling capabilities during landings and take-offs. Officials have warned that the limitation compromises safe air operations — particularly in fog or emergencies.
Safety and Operational Concerns
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According to AAI, flight-safety protocols require at least 240 metres of clear space beyond a runway’s endpoint for safe deceleration and overshoot protection. Due to the mosque’s location, the available safety area reduces to around 160 metres, creating a critical shortfall that restricts full-scale use of the secondary runway for larger aircraft. These concerns resurfaced sharply after a major plane crash in Kozhikode revived nationwide scrutiny of runway infrastructure and obstacle-free zones.
Efforts to Resolve the Standoff
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The issue has been taken up multiple times between the AAI and the West Bengal government, but relocation efforts have not succeeded as the mosque committee has resisted the move. Aviation authorities previously suggested solutions like building a tunnel or controlled-access arrangements to allow worshippers to reach the site safely while freeing up surface space for taxiway and runway safety requirements. Discussions continue as no permanent solution has yet been finalized.
Airport Capacity and Growth Plans
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NSCBI Airport is among India’s busiest, handling millions of passengers every year while undergoing major modernization and expansion efforts. The operational restrictions on the secondary runway have raised concerns over long-term traffic handling, especially as flight movement continues to increase. Aviation planners warn that without resolving the runway safety bottleneck, the airport’s capacity growth could be constrained despite infrastructure upgrades.
Why This Matters
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The Bankra Mosque case highlights a rare scenario where heritage and faith intersect directly with aviation engineering and safety. While respecting religious sentiment remains key, the risk posed by an obstacle in the runway safety zone cannot be ignored indefinitely. With Kolkata being a major gateway to eastern India, the airport’s operational efficiency is crucial.
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