Kolkata Airport Fire: Blaze Breaks Out at Old ATC Building, Flight Operations Unaffected

Kolkata: A fire broke out at the old Air Traffic Control (ATC) building of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Tuesday, August 18. The blaze was brought under control within a short time and did not affect flight operations, officials said.

Airport employees noticed the fire on the third floor of the old ATC building. Fire tenders were immediately sent to the spot and firefighters began efforts to contain the blaze.

Airport Director Vikram Singh said the fire broke out in an open area on the third floor and was brought under control before it could spread to other parts of the building. No injuries have been reported in the incident.

According to preliminary assessments by fire officials, the building had been decorated with string lights for Independence Day celebrations. A short circuit in one of the decorative lights is suspected to have triggered the fire. However, the exact cause will be established after the investigation is completed.

The incident briefly raised concern because of the importance of the ATC infrastructure at an international airport. Air traffic control facilities play a critical role in managing aircraft movements, and a major fire in an operational ATC facility could potentially affect flight services.

However, officials confirmed that flight operations at Kolkata airport continued normally and there was no disruption to scheduled flights following the incident.

The fire was reportedly confined to a portion of the old ATC building. Firefighters also carried out cooling operations after bringing the flames under control to prevent any further flare-up.

The incident has also brought attention to electrical safety and temporary decorative installations at sensitive airport facilities. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire and determine whether any electrical or maintenance-related issue contributed to the incident.

For passengers travelling through Kolkata airport, there was no immediate need for concern as flight operations remained unaffected.

Further details are expected as airport and fire department officials complete their assessment of the incident.