‘Inauguration of Pune Airport’s new terminal building in 2-3 weeks’: Scindia refutes PM Modi unavailability claim

The Union minister said that he has also given some suggestions for some of the lacunae that he noticed during his inspection.

He brushed off the accusations that the inauguration of the new terminal building was getting delayed because of the unavailability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its inauguration.

“The project has been completed only now and hence I am conducting the inspection,” he said.

Pune Congress leaders had last month alleged that the inauguration was getting delayed because of Prime Minister’s unavailability for the inauguration.

When asked if Modi will inaugurate the project, he said, “My responsibility was to complete the project which has happened now. The Chief Minister, and the deputy chief ministers will discuss and decide about the inauguration,” he said, adding that the inauguration will take place in “two or three weeks”.

The terminal building, which has a built up area of 51,595 square meter, has been built on the area acquired from the Indian Air Force.

As per the AAI, after the inauguration, safety tests that will take about 90 days will be conducted at the airport before it becomes operational. It will have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum, an upgrade from the present building’s capacity of 7.2 million passengers per annum.

Scindia said that the new terminal building has been built to display the local culture of Maharashtra.

“An airport building is not just glass and cement. It’s an avenue into a city. So we have displayed the Maharashtrian culture inside and outside the airport building… At Pune airport, we have given a Shaniwar Wada like façade and have also displayed other cultural and historical symbols of the state at the canopy,” said Scindia.

When asked about the pending extension of the runway in absence of which international flights — with bigger aircrafts — will not be able to operate from the city, Scindia said that the talks were on with the Indian Airforce for the additional land.

“There are two international services at the airport. But we are having dialogue with the Air Force for additional land,” he said.

On the proposed international airport at Purandar, he said, “We have given a nod for the Purandar and the state has to acquire the land.”

The terminal building was supposed to be completed by April 2021 and has seen several delays in completion.