Abdurrazzakrazu at 21:25, 15 March 2026

2026-03-15T21:25:42Z

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{{Short description|Domestic airport in West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Cooch Behar Airport
| image = File:COB_airport1.jpg
| IATA = COH
| ICAO = VECO
| pushpin_map = India West Bengal#India
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in West Bengal
| pushpin_label = '''COH'''
| pushpin_label_position = right
| type = Public
| owner = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| operator = Airports Authority of India
| opened = {{start date and age|1945|||df=yes|p=n|br=n}}
| city-served = [[Cooch Behar]] and [[Alipurduar]]
| location = Cooch Behar, [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| elevation-f = 141
| elevation-m = 43
| coordinates = {{coord|26|19|52|N|89|28|06|E|type:airport}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/coochbehar|Coochbehar Airport}}
| r1-number = 04/22<ref name="ICAO"/>
| r1-length-f = 3507
| r1-length-m = 1069
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| stat-year = April 2024 – March 2025
| stat1-header = Passengers
| stat1-data = 5,478 ({{increase}} 25%)
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 664 ({{increase}} 16.9%)
| stat3-header = Cargo tonnage
| stat3-data = —
| footnotes = Source: [[Airports Authority of India|AAI]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure III – Passenger Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k25Annex3.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k25Annex2.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data|url=https://www.aai.aero/sites/default/files/traffic-news/Mar2k25Annex4.pdf|website=aai.aero|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref>
}}

'''Cooch Behar Airport''' {{airport codes|COH|VECO}}<ref name="ICAO">{{cite web |url = http://www.icao.int/anb/aig/Taxonomy/R4CDLocationIndicatorsbystate.pdf |title = ICAO Location Indicators by State |publisher = [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] |date = 12 January 2006 |access-date = 8 June 2010 |archive-date = 26 September 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235554/http://www.icao.int/anb/aig/Taxonomy/R4CDLocationIndicatorsbystate.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref> is a [[domestic airport]] serving the city of [[Cooch Behar, West Bengal]], [[India]] and parts of [[North Bengal]] and [[Assam]]. It is located {{cvt|6.2|km}} from the city centre. The airport is spread over an area of 173 acres.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/cooch_behar.jsp |title=Airports Authority of India |access-date=25 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225073024/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/cooch_behar.jsp |archive-date=25 February 2008 }}</ref>

== Facilities ==
The airport is located at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m) above mean sea level.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-01|title=Aerodrome Chart|url=https://aim-india.aai.aero/eaip-v2-02-2019/eAIP/VECO-ADC.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-19|website=Aeronautical Information Management|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024171116/https://aim-india.aai.aero/eaip-v2-02-2019/eAIP/VECO-ADC.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2021 }}</ref> It has one runway designated 04/22 with an asphalt surface, measuring {{convert|3,507 by 100|feet}} without an [[instrument landing system]]. The airport can handle only flights using [[visual flight rules]] during the day. Improvements in radar as well as other runway systems have been completed, such as installation of lights on the runway, while the instrument landing system will be installed in the near future. There is presently a high security team residing in the airport. The airport uses a [[non-directional beacon]] for navigation services. Commercial services resumed from Cooch Behar with IndiaOne Air starting flights to [[Kolkata]] on 21 February 2023.<ref name="The Times of India">{{cite news|author1=Banerjee, Tamaghna, Bhattacharya, Pinak Priya|title=Cooch Behar back on West Bengal's aviation map|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cooch-behar-back-on-west-bengals-aviation-map/articleshow/98134654.cms|work=The Times of India|date=22 February 2023|access-date=22 February 2023|language=en}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:COB airport4.jpg|Entrance of the airport
File:Cooch Behar Airport Terminal.png |Terminal building of the airport
</gallery>

== Recent developments ==

In March 2020, lights were installed in the boundaries of the airport and the runway was repaired. Security was also increased in and around the premises.
[[File:COB airport.jpg|thumb|Terminal of the airport]]
[[File:Cooch Behar Airport ATC Tower.jpg|thumb|[[Air Traffic Control]] tower of the airport]]

While the longstanding demand of residents to resume flights from the airport in North Bengal remains unfulfilled for over 25 years, the Airports Authority of India revamped and operationalised the [[Rupsi Airport]] at Rupsi in [[Kokrajhar district]] of Assam to restart services after three decades, to handle the traffic. However, it mostly handles the traffic from [[Dhubri]] (the city it serves) and adjoining regions from [[Kokrajhar]], [[Bongaigaon]], etc., and does not act as a solution to Cooch Behar, because that airport is {{cvt|70|km}} from it; thus it is too far to cater the traffic.

The airport's license was valid till 27 January 2021, but the [[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)]] decided not to renew the license until further notice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cooch Behar airport wings clipped for now|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/cooch-behar-airport-wings-clipped-for-now/cid/1800448|access-date=2021-10-27|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref> As of February 2023, it received its license again to restart commercial operations, with daily flights to Kolkata operated by the new low-cost regional airline, IndiaOne Air.<ref name="The Times of India">{{cite news|author1=Banerjee, Tamaghna, Bhattacharya, Pinak Priya|title=Cooch Behar back on West Bengal's aviation map|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cooch-behar-back-on-west-bengals-aviation-map/articleshow/98134654.cms|work=The Times of India|date=22 February 2023|access-date=22 February 2023|language=en}}</ref>

== Airlines and destinations ==
{{Airport destination list

|[[IndiaOne Air]]| [[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport|Kolkata]](Ends 31 January 2026)<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/flights-to-cooch-behar-to-stop-as-indiaone-air-cites-operational-reasons-prnt/cid/2135742 | title=Flights to Cooch Behar to stop as IndiaOne Air cites operational reasons | website=www.telegraphindia.com | date=2025-12-02}}</ref>
}}

==Future expansion==
There have been talks between the [[Government of West Bengal]] and the Airports Authority of India to expand the runway length to accommodate larger aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Government plans to expand Cooch Behar runway |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/government-plans-to-expand-cooch-behar-runway/cid/1851806 |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref> Developments related to the airport boundary and lights were also done.

In a meeting between the Cooch Behar district administration and the Airports Authority of India in September 2023, plans were laid to operate two flights daily from the airport. A plan for a Cooch behar to [[Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport|Guwahati]] flight service was also discussed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plan to launch one more flight: Upgrade of Cooch Behar airport in progress |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/plan-to-launch-one-more-flight-upgrade-of-cooch-behar-airport-in-progress/cid/1967465 |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of airports by ICAO code: V#VA VE VI VO - India|List of airports by ICAO code]]
* [[List of airports in West Bengal]]
* [[List of airports in India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Cite web|last=Aerodrome Data|first=VECO / COH|title=Cooch Behar Airport Details|url=https://aim-india.aai.aero/sites/default/files/aip_supplements/AIPS_2019_55.pdf|website=Airports Authority of India}}

{{Airports in India}}
{{Cooch Behar topics}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Airports in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cooch Behar district]]
[[Category:Transport in Cooch Behar]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1945]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Airports Authority of India]]

Cooch Behar Airport - Revision history

Abdurrazzakrazu at 21:25, 15 March 2026