There is good news for Punekars who have long wished for direct international flights to Europe—relief may be on the way soon.
Direct International Flight from Pune to Europe
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, recently announced that the process of extending the runway at Pune Airport has already started.
Currently, Pune Airport does not offer direct flights to European countries due to infrastructure issues, mainly the short runway.
“There are no direct international flights from Pune because the runway can’t handle wide-bodied aircraft used for long-distance flights. But the expansion work has begun. Around 300 acres of land will be acquired for this.
The Maharashtra government will pay 60% of the land cost, Pune Municipal Corporation 20%, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) 10%, and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) 10%.
In the next one-and-a-half years, Punekars will be able to fly directly to European destinations,” Mohol said.
Part of a Bigger Plan
This move is part of a larger plan to improve air travel and infrastructure in the area.
Mohol also spoke about the upcoming airport project at Purandar, which had been delayed mainly due to land acquisition issues.
He confirmed that the state government has now finalized the location and the land acquisition process is ongoing.
The Purandar Airport is expected to meet international standards and will greatly improve air connectivity for Pune and surrounding parts of western Maharashtra.
Mohol added, “When a new airport is proposed anywhere in the country, it is the state government’s job to provide land.
During Devendra Fadnavis’s earlier term as chief minister (2014–2019), Purandar was chosen for the airport and work began. It’s a proud moment that Pune will soon have its own international airport at Purandar.”
The minister also shared updates on the Pune Airport’s current development. He said the new terminal is now fully operational and the switch from the old terminal is almost complete.
He said, “Even though I travel across the country, Pune is always my priority. That’s why I ensured the new terminal started operating on time.
Today, 100% of the flights operate from the new terminal. At the same time, we’ve also started redeveloping the old terminal.”
Currently, Pune Airport has flights to 35 domestic and three international destinations.
The international routes include two flights to Dubai, two to Bangkok, and one to Singapore.
