Kolkata, May 8 (IANS): India's first private greenfield airport set up in West Bengal's Durgapur-Andal region in collaboration with Changi International Airport, Singapore, will begin operations from May 18, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday.

"India's 1st private greenfield airport set up in collaboration with Changi International Airport, Singapore is ready for commercial operation. We have named Andal airport after Kazi Nazrul Islam. Flight services will commence at Andal airport from May 18," Banerjee said at a media meet at the state secretariat "Nabanna".

The 650-acre airport is the centrepiece of the Rs.10,000 crore Aerotropolis, an ambitious township project in the Durgapur-Andal region, presently in the developmental phase.

Banerjee said flights from Singapore to Andal will commence "soon".

"Air India will fly to and fro from Kolkata. This will help people from Asansol-Durgapur to travel to Delhi and Mumbai with great ease. Happy operators have proposed to keep fares reasonable," she tweeted.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said her government has exempted sales tax on aviation for the airport till 2021 and is taking steps to compensate those provided the land.

"Special discount of 25 percent will be available to students, patients, family members of land givers for the project and all state government officers.

"Our government has exempted sales tax on aviation turbine fuel for this airport till 2020-21 to make air travel affordable for common people," she said.