‘No support, high fares’: Pune flyers hit hard as airport disrupted after IAF plane develops snag

Mohammed Tareq (42), a Dubai resident, said his SpiceJet flight was first delayed and then cancelled. “Now I’m being asked to wait until April 26, but ticket prices have surged so much that a single seat costs as much as what we earlier paid for two tickets,” he said. “There hasn’t been much support from the airline, and with urgent travel plans, I may have to book an expensive alternative from Mumbai.”

Dubai-resident Mohammed Tareq has been stranded in Pune as his flight was cancelled. (Express Photo)

Another passenger, Bittu Kumar (31), who was travelling to Dubai for work, said the disruption put his travel at risk due to visa constraints. “My visa is valid only till April 19. If I don’t get a flight today or tomorrow morning, I won’t be able to travel in time,” he said. “I’ve been told the next available SpiceJet flight is only after April 20. I’ve requested a cancellation so I can look for other options, but that is still pending.”

Passengers travelling to Pune from other parts of the country also faced prolonged delays. Ganesh Tidke, travelling from Kashmir via Delhi, said they were stuck at the Delhi airport for nearly nine hours. “The flight kept getting delayed,” he said.

A co-passenger highlighted the toll on families. “The kids were suffering. They were crying and had to sleep while sitting on small chairs. The whole night went like that,” the passenger said.

Even those yet to begin their journeys were affected. Lailaj Lalan, returning from Kerala, said his early morning IndiGo flight from Kochi was cancelled and later rescheduled. “Our 3 am flight was cancelled due to the runway closure. It was later rescheduled to around 8.15 am,” he said.

Experts say such disruptions are inevitable given Pune airport’s operational constraints. Aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar noted that the airport functions as a dual-use defence airfield, where military operations take precedence. “Being an Air Force airfield, defence requirements will always have priority. In emergencies, commercial operations may have to be halted,” he said.

He also pointed to broader structural limitations. “Pune still lacks a 24/7 civil aviation facility despite growing demand. The single runway and restricted operational hours make the system vulnerable to disruptions,” Vandekar said.

Vandekar also flagged the lack of long-term planning despite rising demand. “Pune has steadily grown as an industrial and IT hub, leading to a sharp increase in air travel over the years. However, there has been no clear vision from public representatives to develop infrastructure in line with this growth,” he said, adding that infrastructure projects such as the proposed Purandar airport need to be expedited.