Pune Airport Set For Major Expansion With 1 km Runway Extension, Eyes Feb 19 Inauguration Of New Terminal By PM Modi

Pune, 10th February 2024: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar convened a crucial meeting yesterday with Pune airport officials, the Pune collector, and the Pune divisional commissioner to address the runway extension project for the airport.

“It has been decided to extend the runway by 1 km, necessitating the acquisition of 135 acres of land to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft for both landing and take-off. Deputy CM Pawar has instructed the administration to initiate the acquisition process. The state will bear 60% of the acquisition costs, while the remaining will be shared by the PMC, PCMC, and the PMRDA,” stated Tingre, Vice-President of the Pune Airport Advisory Committee.

The current runway spans 2,539 meters (8,333 ft). Addressing concerns about airport accessibility, Pawar directed the administration to ensure a continuous police presence on the approach roads.

In a separate development, the state government has formally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the new terminal building at Pune airport during his visit to Maharashtra on Feb 19, as announced by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

“The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Satara, and we have urged him to inaugurate the airport building as well,” Pawar informed reporters after touring the terminal. The opposition has criticized both the state government and the Centre for allegedly delaying the inauguration of the new terminal building.

Earlier this week, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi raised the issue during a Rajya Sabha session, prompting Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh to clarify that the building wasn’t ready at that time.

“Once the new building becomes operational, passenger traffic is expected to increase. I have instructed airport authorities to ensure that passengers receive international-level facilities,” added Deputy CM Pawar.

MLA Sunil Tingre, present during the inspection, revealed that the state had suggested the possibility of an online inauguration by the Prime Minister if a physical presence wasn’t feasible. “We are confident that the building will be inaugurated on Feb 19,” Tingre affirmed.

Furthermore, Tingre shared information from airport authorities indicating that the existing building would close down immediately upon the new building’s operation. It is slated to remain closed for a year, during which it will undergo redevelopment before reopening.