Good News! Purandar Airport Set to Open By March 2029; Pune Airport Runway Extension To Be Completed Soon |
In a good news for Punekars, the final date for the probable opening of the Purandar airport has been announced. The announcement was made by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol during a review meeting chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
Mohol, in a post on X, also informed that the obstacle limitation surface (OLS) survey for the runway extension at Pune International Airport in Lohegaon has been completed, and land acquisition for the project is likely to be finalized in six months.
He stated that the land acquisition process for Purandar Airport will begin early, with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) planned to be completed by September 2025, and the airport set to become operational by March 2029.
A review meeting regarding the development of aviation services and airports in Maharashtra was held at ‘Sahyadri’ in Mumbai, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The meeting aimed to discuss the speeding up of the development work of airports in the state and enhance aviation services. All the stakeholders, including senior officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Army, Maharashtra Airports Corporation, and various other government bodies, participated in the discussions.
Several other issues discussed
Several key issues regarding the airports in the state were discussed during the meeting. The first was the timely completion of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is scheduled for March 2025. It should be noted that domestic flights are planned to begin in March, and international flights are expected to commence in April 2025.
By March 31, 2025, the re-carpeting of Shirdi and Nagpur airports is also expected to be finished. The development of Amravati Airport, where a night landing facility is being expedited, was another topic of discussion at the conference. By July 2025, the biggest Flight Training Organization (FTO) in South Asia is also anticipated to be finished.
The meeting also discussed the initiation of air services for Solapur and the acquisition of land for runway expansion at Kolhapur Airport. The need for starting the process for night landing at both Solapur and Kolhapur airports was also raised.
Mohol added, “There was a positive update regarding the construction of a new terminal building at Jalgaon Airport and the land acquisition process for Purandar Airport. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Purandar Airport is expected to be completed by September 2025, with the airport projected to be operational by March 2029.”
Furthermore, discussions took place about acquiring land for a new airport in Gadchiroli. There were also positive conversations regarding the development and facilities of Ratnagiri, Gondia, Akola, and Sambhajinagar airports. The meeting also focused on immediate surveys for potential water aerodromes in Pawana, Gangapur, Khindsi, and other dams.
For Pune International Airport, the OLS (Obstacle Limitation Surface) for runway expansion has been completed, and the land acquisition process is expected to be completed in the next six months. Finally, a decision regarding the proposed airport at Vadhan, located near an international port, will be taken soon.
In addition to the airports in Pune, Purandar, and Navi Mumbai, the meeting also discussed the initiation of air services for Solapur and the acquisition of land for runway expansion at Kolhapur Airport. Mohol also informed that the process for establishing night landing facilities at both Solapur and Kolhapur airports was set in motion. Moreover, plans were made for constructing a new terminal building at Jalgaon Airport.
The review meeting also addressed a range of other issues, including land acquisition, terminal construction, infrastructure development, night landing facilities, and the expansion of flight services at airports in the state, involving multiple stakeholders.
