Pandaveswar Airfield

The airfield was closed due to the end of World War II. It was a purpose-built military airfield constructed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and was no longer required for military operations after the war concluded. The USAAF departed, and control of the abandoned airfield was returned to the British Indian government.

The airfield is currently abandoned and in a state of disrepair. Satellite imagery shows the main runway and some taxiways are still clearly visible, though the concrete is weathered, cracked, and overgrown with vegetation in many areas. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or control towers. The land is largely unused, with some parts of the former runway being utilized by locals as a makeshift road. The surrounding area consists of agricultural fields and some minor encroachment.

Pandaveswar Airfield holds significant historical importance as a major combat base during World War II in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. Its primary role was as a forward operating base for the American Twentieth Air Force. It was one of the four B-29 Superfortress bases in the Calcutta area established for 'Operation Matterhorn,' the strategic bombing campaign against the Japanese Empire from India. The 468th Bombardment Group, flying B-29s, was stationed at Pandaveswar from April 1944 until they were reassigned to the Mariana Islands in early 1945. From this airfield, they conducted long-range bombing missions against critical targets in Burma, Thailand, China, and even mainland Japan. After the B-29s departed, the airfield was used by the Tenth Air Force for other operations until the end of the war.

There have been multiple discussions and proposals over the past decade to revive Pandaveswar Airfield as a domestic airport to serve the industrial and coal-mining belt of Asansol-Durgapur in West Bengal. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has conducted surveys to assess its feasibility, and it was considered for development under the Indian government's regional connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik). The goal was to leverage the existing infrastructure to boost economic activity in the region. However, the development and successful operation of the nearby Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (RDP) in Andal has significantly diminished the immediate prospects for Pandaveswar. As of now, there are no active, concrete plans or ongoing construction to reopen the airfield.