Vistara plans to start Pune-Dubai flight

At present, SpiceJet offers the only direct connecting flight between the two cities. It operates daily.

Sudhir Mehta Chairman & Managing Director of Pinnacle Industries Limited and former president of Maharatta Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA) shared the news on social media.

He said that the route will become operational only after landing rights are granted by the airports and said that the Civil Aviation Ministry will soon be requested on the city’s industrial community’s behalf to approve the airline’s request.

“We expect the Pune-Dubai route to be a game-changer, offering crucial and dependable international air connectivity to the west for both leisure and business travelers,” said Mehta, adding, “This flight can only being operations once traffic rights are granted, and slots become available in Pune.”

He said that Air Vistara has also committed to exploring Abu Dhabi if those landing rights are obtainable and the business community will be request the ministry to consider the airline’s request positively.

Dhairyasheel Vandekar, Pune-based aviation expert, said that it’s heartening that Vistara has applied for a Dubai flight permission and hoped that it manages to get the requisite go-aheads.

“At present we have only one Pune-Dubai flight and an addition to that is most welcome. However, it remains to be seen how the AAI responds to the request because such request have been sent in the past as well notably Singapore-based airline Silk Air but did the flight finally didn’t materialised due to traffic rights and slots and other operational issues,” said Vandekar.

He said that being an emerging business city of Pune requires global connectivity beyond the gateway points such as Dubai and Singapore for which it’s important that infrastructural changes at the airport such as runway extension are followed up.

“Nevertheless, we as citizens must support every effort to bring increased air connectivity to Pune,’ said Vandekar.