A relief is round-the-corner for the Punekars who have long desired direct flights to international destinations like Europe.
International Flight From Pune To Europe
In this regard, the process for extending the runway has already begun as announced by the Union minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar.
As we know that the Pune Airport does not operate direct flights to European countries presently.
This is due to the fact that they have infrastructural limitations, particularly the length of the runway.
“There are currently no direct international flights operating out of Pune because the runway isn’t long enough to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft used for such routes. But the process for extending the runway has already begun. Nearly 300 acres of land will be acquired for this expansion. Sixty per cent of the total cost of land acquisition will be borne by the Maharashtra government; 20% by the Pune Municipal Corporation; 10% by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC); and the remaining 10% by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). Within the next one-and-a-half years, Punekars will be able to travel directly from Pune to international destinations with flights connecting to European destinations,” Mohol said, while talking about this development.
An Step Towards A Broader Vision
This announcement appears to be a part of the broader vision which is meant to improve air connectivity and infrastructure in the region.
Moving ahead, Mohol has highlighted the importance of this new airport project which will be located at Purandar.
The project has faced several delays, especially over land acquisition.
The minister has confirmed the news regarding the state government finalizing the location for Purandar Airport and its land acquisition process is underway now.
This airport is most likely to operate on par with international standards.
It would significantly boost the connectivity to and from Pune and the surrounding regions of western Maharashtra.
Further, Mohol said, “When a new airport is proposed anywhere in the country, it is the state government’s responsibility to allocate land. During Devendra Fadnavis’s earlier tenure as chief minister between 2014 and 2019, the site for Purandar Airport was finalised, and work on the project began. The fact that Pune will soon have an international airport at Purandar is a matter of pride for both the city and western Maharashtra.”
The minister also spoke about ongoing upgrades at Pune Airport. He shared that operations of the new terminal have now begun fully, and the transition from the old terminal is almost complete.
Further adding, “even though I travel across the country, Pune will always be my top priority. That is why I ensured that operations at the new terminal of Pune Airport commenced without delay. Today, 100% of operations are taking place through the new terminal. Simultaneously, we’ve also initiated redevelopment work on the old terminal.”
So far, Pune Airport operates flights to 35 domestic destinations and three international destinations.
Out of this, the latter includes two flights to Dubai, two to Bangkok, and one to Singapore.
