Kanchrapara Airfield

The primary reason for its closure was military demobilization. With the end of World War II, the vast network of temporary airfields was no longer required. The base was deemed surplus to requirements by the Allied forces. Its proximity to the larger, more established Dum Dum Airport (now Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport) in Kolkata made it economically unviable for development as a major civilian airport.

The site of the former airfield is no longer an active airport. A significant portion of the land is now under the control of the Indian Army and hosts an Army Aviation Corps base with a functional helipad. The original WWII-era runways are largely derelict and overgrown, though their outlines are still visible from satellite imagery. The area has experienced significant encroachment over the decades, with parts of the former airfield now occupied by civilian settlements, agricultural plots, and infrastructure related to the adjacent Kanchrapara Railway Workshop.

Kanchrapara Airfield was a strategically important Allied airbase during World War II. Constructed by the British, it served as a major operational, supply, and maintenance depot for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Tenth Air Force. The airfield was a critical hub for the Burma Campaign (1944-1945), supporting both combat operations and the vital airlift of supplies over 'The Hump' to China. It hosted numerous famous units, including the USAAF's 1st and 2nd Air Commando Groups, which were instrumental in special operations, and the 4th Combat Cargo Group, which flew C-46 Commando and C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft. RAF squadrons, such as No. 67 Squadron flying Supermarine Spitfires, also operated from Kanchrapara.

There are no concrete, approved plans to reopen Kanchrapara Airfield for commercial or civilian flights. The West Bengal state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have periodically surveyed the site, along with other defunct WWII airstrips, as a potential candidate for development under the Indian government's regional connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik). However, significant challenges, including the current military use of the land, extensive and long-standing encroachment, and the high cost of acquiring land and rebuilding all necessary infrastructure, make its revival a complex and unlikely prospect in the near future.