Pune Airport Faces Scrutiny in Parliament Over Lack of Facilities and Deteriorating Service Quality
Pune, 8th February 2024: The state of Pune airport took center stage during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, this time for its deficiency in basic amenities and its dismal performance in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey.
MP Vandana Chavan from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction raised concerns about the inadequate infrastructure at Pune airport and its decline to the 70th position in the ACI’s (Airports Council International) ASQ survey conducted last year on service quality.
“Every airport should ensure proper maintenance and service delivery for travelers. The Pune airport is experiencing a decline in quality, evident in its 70th position in the ACI survey. What measures are being taken regarding airports like Pune?” questioned Chavan to the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, VK Singh, in the Rajya Sabha.
In response, Singh acknowledged the concern and assured that the steps being taken would be communicated.
This follows Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s inquiry on Monday regarding the delay in inaugurating the new terminal building, to which Singh clarified that the construction was not yet complete.
The ACI-ASQ survey, conducted annually since 2006, engages nearly 400 airports from 95 countries. It evaluates airports on 31 parameters related to facilities and passenger feedback.
Pune airport falls into the category of the best airport by size and the sub-category of an airport with a passenger traffic of 515 million per year. However, issues such as seating capacity, chair quality, unclean washrooms, inadequate eating facilities, and challenges during check-ins and security checks have adversely impacted the airport’s standing in the survey.
