Kolkata Airport Terminal Guide 2026 - Domestic, International

Kolkata does something most big Indian airports do not: it puts every flight in one building. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport’s integrated terminal, officially Terminal 2, has handled all domestic and international traffic since 2013, with domestic check-in on the ground floor, international departures on the floor above and a single arrivals hall below. With 21.8 million passengers in the 2024-25 year it is India’s sixth-busiest airport and long past the terminal’s design capacity, which is why 2026 is a year of expansion works. This page describes the building as it stands in September 2026 and what the works change.

The integrated terminal

The L-shaped terminal has six levels and 233,000 square metres of floor space, 128 check-in counters, 78 immigration counters and 18 aerobridges, 14 of them serving domestic flights and four international. Domestic and international share the structure but not the halls: each has its own check-in area, security screening and security hold area with gates, food and shops. Arrivals from both funnel into a common ground-floor hall, where the prepaid taxi counter, the left-luggage counter (Counter 18 near Gate 3C, ₹20 per bag per day), the metro walkway and the bus stand are all signed from the exits. The old domestic terminal to the north, in use from 1995 to 2013, closed when the integrated building opened; the old international terminal was kept for Hajj charters.

Domestic departures

Domestic check-in is on the ground floor, entered from the forecourt through the CISF document check. IndiGo, the biggest operator here by far, has the largest counter block, with Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Alliance Air alongside; most also have self-service kiosks and bag drops. DigiYatra face-recognition gates take domestic passengers through entry and security without showing documents again once enrolled in the app. Past security the domestic security hold area has the airport’s main food court, the Travel Club lounge near Gate 22 and the aerobridge gates, and in June 2026 a new 966 square metre section of the hold area opened as part of the interim expansion, easing the worst of the peak-hour crowding. The busiest domestic routes are Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Chennai, Agartala, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair, and the early-morning bank of flights to the Northeast, Bagdogra and the Andamans is the reason so many travellers sleep near this airport; our overnight connections guide covers it.

International departures

International check-in, immigration and the pre-embarkation security check are on the departures level above the domestic hall. The 2026 expansion moves immigration, customs and security into a new 2,990 square metre space and adds 2,600 square metres to the international security hold area, with part of the vacated floor becoming shops and restaurants; the new space was completed by June 2026 and was being brought into use through the year. The international hold area has duty free, the Travel Club lounge near Gate 10 and the Air India Maharaja lounge. Routes are regional rather than long-haul: Dhaka is the busiest, then Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore, Doha and Kuala Lumpur, with Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Biman Bangladesh, Bhutan Airlines, Drukair, Buddha Air, China Eastern and IndiGo’s international network. There are no non-stop flights beyond Asia and the Gulf; Europe and America connect through Delhi, Mumbai or the Gulf hubs.

Arrivals

Both streams land in the ground-floor arrivals hall. International arrivals clear immigration and baggage reclaim first, then customs, then join the domestic arrivals in the hall. From the exits, the prepaid taxi counter is to one side near Gate 3C, the app-cab pickup zone is outside and signed, the WBTC bus stand is along the forecourt, and the walkway to Jai Hind metro station leaves from Gate 1. Currency exchange counters, ATMs, a pharmacy and a post office are in or beside the hall. Our airport to city guide takes it from there.

The 2026 works and the new terminal

The Airports Authority of India is spending ₹130 crore on the interim expansion described above to lift capacity from 26 to 28 million passengers a year, buying time until a new terminal is built. The old domestic terminal is being demolished from mid-2026, after the Hajj season, and a new U-shaped terminal of 120,000 square metres will rise on its site in two phases, the first due around 2029 to 2030 and dedicated to international flights, after which Terminal 2 becomes domestic-only. For travellers in 2026 the effect is construction traffic on the forecourt and occasional changes to which door you use; allow a few extra minutes and follow the temporary signs rather than old habits.

Tips

Arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, and add 30 minutes in the morning and evening peaks. Enrol in DigiYatra before you travel if you fly domestically; it removes the document queue at the entrance. If you are connecting from an international arrival to a domestic departure, you must clear immigration and customs, collect your bags and check in again downstairs, so allow three hours; the day rooms guide and sleeping in the airport guide cover what to do with a longer gap.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many terminals does Kolkata Airport have?

One. The integrated terminal, officially Terminal 2, opened in 2013 and handles every domestic and international flight under one roof, with separate check-in halls and security for the two. The old domestic terminal beside it closed in 2013 and is being demolished in 2026 to make way for a new terminal due around 2029 to 2030.

Where is domestic check-in at Kolkata Airport?

On the ground floor of the terminal, with IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet in their own zones among the 128 counters. International check-in, immigration and customs are on the departures level above, reached by the ramps and lifts from the forecourt. Both halls have DigiYatra face-recognition gates for domestic passengers.

How early should I arrive at Kolkata Airport?

Two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, with more in the morning peak from 6 am to 9 am and the evening peak from 5 pm to 9 pm. Bag drop usually closes 60 minutes before departure for domestic flights and 75 for international ones.

Can I walk between the domestic and international areas?

Landside, yes: the arrivals hall is shared, and the domestic and international departure entrances are on different levels of the same building. Airside, no: the domestic and international security hold areas are separate, so a connecting international passenger must clear immigration and customs, then check in again for the domestic flight.

Information last verified: September 17, 2026