A fire broke out at the old Air Traffic Control building of Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Airport employees noticed flames at around 4 a.m., and three fire tenders brought the blaze under control within a couple of hours.
The fire was reported on the third floor of the eight-story building and quickly engulfed a portion of the structure in dense black smoke [citation:12]. The affected area was later described by officials as an open terrace section of the old ATC building [citation:10].
Airport Director Vikram Singh confirmed that the fire was confined to an open area and did not spread to critical operational zones. The main ATC operations are conducted from the eighth floor and an adjacent connected structure, which kept navigation equipment and communication systems safe [citation:9][citation:11].
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in decorative fairy lights installed on the building for Independence Day celebrations [citation:3][citation:9][citation:12]. Fire officials, however, stated that the exact cause is still under investigation and the short-circuit finding has not been conclusively confirmed [citation:10].
No injuries or casualties were reported. Airport authorities said there was no major damage to the building, and all flight operations remained normal throughout the incident [citation:9][citation:12].
The fire has raised concerns about the lack of a backup control facility at the airport. Controllers in Kolkata manage 1,000 to 1,400 overflying aircraft daily, in addition to 350 daily arrivals and departures. A veteran controller noted that there is no alternative site from which operations can be conducted if the building is on fire [citation:6].
A modern air traffic complex and tower has been ready for over two years, but full-fledged operations have not begun because the required systems have not been purchased. Only a two-hour trial runs on weekdays from 2 pm to 4 pm [citation:6].
The old ATC complex houses the meteorological department, communication department, area control, tower control and anti-hijack room. It has only a single staircase serving 650 to 700 workers. An airside fire-escape staircase exists but is reportedly in poor condition [citation:6].
Airport authorities have stated that a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire [citation:12].
