What is Asia's oldest airport?

Asia's Oldest Functioning Airport

Asian airports are among the busiest and largest, and their numbers continue to grow every year. Most of the best flight destinations accommodate millions of passengers as well as tons of cargo in the year. However, some airports in Asia were established more than a hundred years ago.

The oldest operating airports in Asia are Kolkata Airport also known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Located in Kolkata, India. This airport was established as a small airfield during the early 1920s. The AAI constructed the airport and it was officially inaugurated on 1st, January 1924 to handle commercial flights between Kolkata and Allahabad.

Early Beginnings

During the early 1920s, the Asian aviation industry had not yet fully developed, meaning that travel via the use of aircraft was rare. There was not much air travel that had occurred around the region as only a few morale pioneering flights had been attempted. Kolkata must be considered among the pioneer cities of British India to embrace the futuristic possibility of aviation.

To advance air communication between major cities in India as a British colony the colonial government outlined plans for building an airfield in Kolkata. Before this time, it was referred to as Dum Dum Airport, and it possessed a small turf airstrip as well as a few makeshift shelters and constructions to accommodate take off and landing of early aircraft as well as to store them.

The new airfield was ready for commercial business on New Year's Day of 1924 when a plane flew from the airfield to Allahabad. This historic flight was operated by the Aircraft Operators Company with the establishment of the first airline Tata Airlines in 1932 in India. In the wake of the first flight from the wet grass runway of Kolkata, weekly airmail service was initiated between Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, and Karachi.

Expansion in the 1930s

Dum Dum airport, as the flights started growing required a great deal of expansion and improvements. Tarmac and simple barren grounds had proven inadequate to accommodate the rising traffic of planes.

Later on from 1934 to 1937 new concrete runways were laid down. This helped in making it possible for bigger airplanes to maneuver through the airport without posing any threats. In addition to a correct terminal and hangers to accommodate more planes to have based. The Civil Aviation Department also assumed the management and operations of the airport in the same year.

Wartime role

When India joined the Second World War in 1939, owing to the development and proximity of the airport to the city, the airport was used by the military. Dengzhou airport was used in December 1943 for an aerial attack by the Japanese on the city.

The runways remained relatively intact during the bombing and the base continued to be used to support air transport of troops and supplies as well as RAF flights in the CBI. By 1943, the airport was one of the largest airports in Asia with a runway of over 3,800 feet in length. This allowed it to come up with long-range aircraft and as a safe division airfield.

Post Independence Growth

The process of decolonization started in 1947 and led to the creation of a free India after independence, Air India moved its base from Mumbai to Kolkata in 1948. This led to consistent traffic development at the airport of this city. Private carriers began to utilize the airport in the 1950s while civil aviation international linkages and services were established in South East Asia.

The availability of the newly developed international airport at Dum Dum for customs and immigration further boosted the development of long-haul routes. Domestic services: Kolkata to London nonstop, Air India began these in 1962. And other European capitals, the Middle East, and East Asia as the leading tech hub. Additional runways and terminals in the 1960s as well, and constant expansion.

Modernization Era

Kolkata, which has been India's oldest working airport for about seven decades, embarked on a new phase at the turn of the year 2000. The following are the main steps of the development of the airport starting from the significant modernization and expansion of the outdated terminal and infrastructure.

To this effect the construction of a new terminal which is outstanding in its architectural design, construction of runways and apron for larger aircraft. This ongoing revitalization has ensured that the airport continues to be effectively relevant for India's commercial capital Kolkata in the twenty-first century. Of course, it continues to maintain its dated history beginning from the early years of Asian flying in the 1920s and 1930s.

If Kolkata Airport intends to offer its centenary celebration in 2024. It manages to stick to its claim of being the oldest airport that is still active to handle commercial flights in the whole of Asia. As many of us have experienced phenomenal technical progress in the aviation industry throughout the past century. The airport's initial usage with biplanes in 1924 is one of the significant advancements in flight that the airport has helped promote in its storied history. No other airport in the continent can boast of being in existence for ten decades in the manner that Kolkata airport can.

Specifically, the paper will provide a brief overview of some of the most important achievements that have been made in the course of the company's development.

• New Year's Day, 1924: The first commercial flight between Kolkata and Allahabad brings to operation the first airport in India. Weekly airmail services start.
• 1934 : 1937: Construction of concrete runways makes the site suitable for larger operations. Extension of the terminal building and construction of new plane hangars.
• 1943: The new runway is built and is over 3800 ft long making the airport one of the largest in Asia at the time.
• 1948: The first international aircraft was launched from this airport and it became the hub for Air India.
• 1950s: Codesharing begins with other airlines and the international flights start which leads to a major expansion.
• 1962: British Overseas Airways Corporation commenced nonstop service to London.
• 2000: The airport begins a large modernization and terminal rebuild program with funding provided by private investments.

Conclusion

Since its construction, it has been serving the transportation requirements of this part of Eastern India for a century now and is the oldest working airport in Asia. Without the contribution of the airports particularly that of Kolkata the history of aviation progression in this area would have been incomplete.

With the recent revamp and enhancements, it has already been suited for another hundred flying activities. Although the site still goes on to write history, as the planes still take off like they used to do in the barnstorming period. The kind of growth that has been witnessed in the case of Kolkata airport has been well reflected in the growth of aviation over the 12 interesting decades.