Pune Airport (in the state of Maharashtra, India) will be subjected to a two week shutdown from 26th April 2021 to 9th May 2021, due to the urgent need to resurface its runway, the Indian Airports Authority (AAI) has announced. “As per information received from Indian Air Force (IAF), due to runway resurfacing works, Pune Airport will have no flight operations for 14 days from 26th April 2021 till 9 May 2021,” said the AAI.
The runway resurfacing works started on 26th October 2020. IAF have confirmed that it must complete this maintenance project as high priority, without the interruption of flight operations . At present, the works take place between 20.00 and 08.00 daily and were due to finish by October 2021. Currently this has caused a minimum of ten flights to be rescheduled from night time to day time operations.
Pune Airport currently witnesses an average of 10,000 passengers arriving and departing per day. This includes notable domestic and international flights (the latter largely coming from the Middle-East). Consequently, renovating the current airport terminal and indeed runway have become demands by default.
Airport Gentrification Imminent
The new proposed terminal building will include an in-line baggage handling system able to process 2,300 passengers during peak time. The airport expects completion by March 2022 at a cost of Rs 475 Crores (approximately US $65 million).
Furthermore, a magnificent multi-storey car park that can cater for up to 1,024 cars is planning to open by April 2022. The total cost of the facility will be Rs 120 Crore (approximately US $16.5 million).
“Keeping in mind, growing traffic from Pune, AAI’s Pune Airport has started working on a Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) including 2 basements & rising three levels above the ground floor. This will not only add to airport facilities but will aid travellers’ convenience,” the AAI had said last year.
Should Pune Airport recapture its pre-Covid tally of 170 daily flight movements, then the aforementioned works will all be worthwhile.
