Fire breaks out on second floor of ATC building at Kolkata airport; flight operations hit

August 18, 2026

Kolkata: A fire broke out on the second floor of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) building at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata in the early hours of Tuesday, triggering panic at the airport.

The fire was reported at around 4 a.m., when security guards and airport staff on duty noticed flames emerging from a section of the second floor. Thick black smoke was subsequently seen in the area.

Fire engines from the airport’s nearby fire station rushed to the spot and began firefighting operations. Additional fire tenders were also deployed as a precaution because of the sensitive nature of the ATC building.

The blaze was brought under control quickly, followed by cooling operations to prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting.

Fire contained, ATC building not damaged

An airport official said the fire was largely confined to an open area and there was no major damage to the ATC infrastructure.

The official said there was no need to evacuate the entire building as firefighters were able to identify and contain the fire promptly.

The situation was later brought under control and normal operations resumed.

However, flight operations were not affected by the fire, according to the information provided by airport authorities.

Decorative lights suspected to have caused fire

An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Firefighters suspect that the blaze may have been linked to decorative lighting installed on the second floor during Independence Day-related decoration work. A short circuit or prolonged use of the decorative lights is being examined as a possible cause.

Authorities are also investigating whether any other electrical or mechanical fault, or maintenance-related issue, may have contributed to the incident.

No casualties have been reported so far.