Additional CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel required for operationalisation of Pune Airport’s new terminal building have started arriving in Pune this week. The new terminal building inaugurated in March 2024 remains to be operationalised, although the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has received the requisite go aheads from regulators as it lacks security personnel strength. Pune Airport has a sanctioned strength of 724 CISF personnel but only about 453 were deployed at the current terminal building. After the new terminal building was constructed, AAI had requested CISF to deploy more persons as the new terminal building is larger and the transition would require deployment at both buildings. Sources at Pune Airport said about 55 CISF personnel have arrived so far and more are expected to report to work at Pune Airport. “The operationalisation of the new building is pending because of the requirement of the additional staff. I have been informed that some CISF persons have joined work at Pune Airport and more will follow. Once we get enough security staff, we will operationalise the new terminal building,” Pune Airport Director Santosh Dhoke said. Pune MP and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and had requested him to expedite allotment of more CISF personnel. The new terminal building is bigger with a per annum capacity to handle 9 million passengers and a peak capacity of 3,000 passengers as opposed to the per annum capacity of 7.7 million and peak capacity of 2,400 of the existing terminal building.
