State Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil emphasised the importance of providing necessary facilities for domestic passenger aviation and conducting studies on extending the runway for international aviation after the opening of the new terminal at Pune Airport during a review meeting.
The meeting was attended by various officials, including Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao, Police Commissioner Ritesh Kumar, Collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority Commissioner Rahul Mahiwal.
Patil noted that the new terminal will offer ten parking bays with aerobridges and increase the number of flights to 218, necessitating the development of an efficient domestic air transport system. He stressed the importance of promoting international aviation in the future.
Meeting on Purandar Airport
Patil also informed that a meeting with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to expedite work on Purandar Airport and accelerate road construction for the new terminal will be held.
Pune Airport Manager Santosh Dhoke provided information on the airport's flight services. The airport currently serves around 30,000 passengers daily, including approximately 540 international travellers. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, it facilitated air travel for 8 million passengers through 59,451 flights.
As of September this year, more than 47 lakh passengers have used Pune Airport through 31,591 flights. The number is expected to double with the commissioning of the new terminal, covering an area of 51,595 square feet and equipped with modern amenities.
