Aircraft parked, terminal to shut: Kolkata airport prepares for cyclone Dana

A 15-hour suspension of flight operations, beginning from 6 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday, has been announced by authorities at the Kolkata airport, as severe cyclonic storm Dana is all set to make landfall tonight.
Preparations are in full swing at the airport to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft, and infrastructure. The suspension of flights has been announced as part of precautionary measures against the anticipated storm.
According to the Indian Meteological Department (IMD), the cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (kmph).
Kolkata airport director Dr. Pravat Ranjan Beuria confirmed that all entry and exit points of the terminal would be sealed once the last flight departs, ensuring no access during the storm, news agency PTI reported.
Additionally, all parked aircraft will be securely tied to prevent movement from the gusty winds. “All aerobridges will be retracted, and ladders tied together to prevent any damage to the planes,” Beuria said.
In accordance with standard operating procedures, all ground handling equipment, vehicles, and tools will be removed or chained together to minimise the risk of these items becoming hazardous in high winds.
“Nothing related to ground operations will be left in the open,” Dr Beuria said, explaining that it is done to ensure that there is no flying debris during the storm.
In order to support the airport’s safety efforts, the state government employees have been urged to ensure that surrounding areas, including both cityside and airside, remain free from waterlogging.
Pumps have been placed on standby to drain any accumulated water in the operational area due to the expected heavy rainfall.
“I have written a letter to the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department to ensure that approach roads remain clear after the storm,” Dr Beuria told PTI.
Authorities have coordinated with airlines to implement other standard safety measures, such as lowering high-mast lights and securely mooring smaller aircraft. Preparations also include tying down all movable objects and preventing any light structures from being exposed.
The airport is scheduled to resume operations at 9 am on Friday, provided conditions are favourable.
Several districts of West Bengal received moderate to heavy rain on Thursday, cyclone Dana inched closer to the state’s coast and that of neighbouring Odisha.
The weather department has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy downpour in isolated places in the south Bengal districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts on Thursday and Friday.