Months after its request for 1,000 new chairs, Pune airport gets 270

Earlier, the airport had only 550 chairs.

There’s some good news for passengers who frequently take flights from Pune airport, and often have to wait for hours there. As many as 270 new chairs have been installed at the airport. Earlier, the airport had only 550 chairs, which couldn’t accommodate the thousands of passengers who often ended up standing, and even sitting on the floor, while waiting at the terminal building.

As per estimates by the Airports of Authority of India (AAI), as many as 15,000 passengers use the airport daily.
On October 15, Pune Newsline had reported that Pune airport authorities had been requesting additional chairs and baggage trolleys for several months. But even as the Pune airport administration had asked for 1,000 additional chairs and 800 trolleys, the Western Region headquarters had sent it a communication, asking if it could part with some of the “old chairs and trolleys”, which would be transferred to regional connectivity service airports.

In the wake of the news report, Minister of State For Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha directed AAI authorities to address the issue. He also requested MP Anil Shirole, who heads the Airport Advisory Committee, to follow up on the issue.

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“Last week, we received 270 new chairs, which are being installed in various places, especially in the expanded security hold area on the ground floor and first floor, so that there’s no inconvenience to passengers who are waiting for their flights,” said an AAI official.

Mushtaq Ahmed, a passenger, said that the airport needed at least 1,000 more chairs to accommodate passengers.

“The Pune Airport looks like a railway platform, as it has few facilities. I have seen passengers sitting on the floor during rush hours, when it’s impossible to find a chair to rest. Considering that flights often get delayed for hours, they should expand the terminal areas and install more chairs,” said Ahmed.