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This is an archive article published on August 14, 2000

Pune airport poised for another facelift

PUNE, AUG 13: Eleven years after it got a new terminal building, Pune's domestic airfield at Lohegaon is poised for another facelift.Spend...

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PUNE, AUG 13: Eleven years after it got a new terminal building, Pune’s domestic airfield at Lohegaon is poised for another facelift.

Spending a whopping Rs five crore at Pune airport, out of Rs 400 crore which it has earmarked for domestic airports across the Maharashtra, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) would extend a few more facilities to passengers and would expand the existing terminal building and apron accommodating more number of services while ushering in the new millennium.

The much-needed expansion at Lohegaon would take off with a brand-new air conditioned resturant located on the mezzanine floor of the departure concourse over looking the air side on August 20.

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An executive and business lounge with advanced communication facilities, more parking area, an improved approach path at air side, additional conveyor belt, flight information display system enlarged cargo complex are a few highlights of the AAI’s Rs five crore package for Pune, Authority chairman D V Gupta told newsmen.

Rated as the second busiest airport of Maharashtra which now has grown into a major airfield catering to a vast industrial hub in western region, Pune airport has shown multi-fold hike in operations in past decade. The number of air travellers at Lohegaon would soon cross the four crore per annum mark, Gupta said elaborating on enlarging operations here.

At present 96 scheduled passenger flights operate through Lohegaon airport every week in addition to about 40 non-scheduled passenger flights. Nineteen chartered international cargo flights also operated from Lohegaon during October 1999 and February 2000, it was stated.

The existing terminal building at Lohegaon was commissioned in 1989, he said, adding that meeting the growing passenger demands AAI has undertaken major development activities at Lohegaon. Gupta, however, avoided a comment on whether AAI endeavour was a response in any way to repeated demands pressing for an international airport for Pune.

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The AAI also has sought transfer of five acres of land from the Indian Air Force for expansion of the apron. The area of present apron is 12,500 square meters which is proposed to be expanded for two more bays and an additional taxi track for smooth manoeuvering of aircraft. “We (the AAI) has given Air Force some land in Ahmedabad,” Gupta said adding that he expect no difficulties in the proposed transfer of IAF land.

An additional 3000 square feet area would be added to the terminal building accommodating 450 departing and 200 arriving passengers besides modifying the departure concourse by adding to it an executive lounge and business centre. The Business Centre would provide internet and other modern communication facilities to the passengers, Gupta added.

Cargo is another significant area where the Lohegaon airfield’s operation graph has shown significant upward trends in the past decade. Cargo worth Rs 1230 crore was handled at Lohegaon last year, Gupta said. AAI has proposed a Rs 40 lakh worth cargo handling facility initially on 800 square meters which would later expanded to cover 2400 square meters. The AAI expects a rise in cargo handling at Lohegaon airport with commissioning of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Gupta said.

The Authority has earmarked Rs 400 crore for different airfields across the State. Out of these Rs 350 crore would be spent at Mumbai International Airport. Similar development would be done at Nagpur and Aurangabad airports, he said.

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Nagpur airport would soon get a modernised radar facility which would monitor entire air traffic in central India, he said adding that the first batch of 40 officers from IAF was recently inducted in to monitor the air traffic controls at various airports in the country.

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