The power supply to the newly constructed terminal building at Pune airport has commenced and the testing of the facilities has been successful. It has given rise to talks of the new Pune Airport Terminal being operational from October 2023.
As per the information provided, the Prime Minister’s Office is overseeing the progress of the project. The airport administration has conducted a meeting with representatives of all airlines, requesting them to relocate their offices to the new terminal within the next eight to ten days. This development has increased the possibility of the new terminal becoming operational in October.
The existing terminal building at Pune airport has limited space, which has restricted the movement of aircraft and affected passenger facilities. During peak seasons, there is a significant influx of passengers, which puts a strain on the available amenities. Long queues of passengers are observed at various checkpoints, from security check-ins to baggage belts.
Therefore, the Airports Authority of India recognized the need to expand the airport and constructed a new terminal building at a cost of approximately Rs 525 crore, which includes five aerobridges. The new terminal building will provide several benefits, including the take-off and landing of 90 aircraft from the current terminal, accommodating 20,000 to 22,000 passengers daily.
The new terminal will enable the take-off and landing of 120 aircraft daily, accommodating 32,000 to 33,000 passengers during the day. The number of flights will increase by 30,000, and the number of passengers will increase by 10,000.
The new terminal building spans an area of approximately 60,000 square feet, with a passenger capacity of 12 million per year. It includes five aerobridges and has a total cost of Rs 525 crore, with a passenger capacity of 2300 per hour. The new terminal building will offer several facilities, including the use of sensors for crowd control of passengers, a new in-live baggage system to save passengers time, and a lounge for passengers to relax, including a commercial lounge. The airport will also use skylights to reduce its carbon footprint, and separate arrangements for children to play and restaurants will be available.
Redevelopment of the current terminal at Pune Airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to redevelop the existing terminal building at Pune Airport. In order to facilitate this redevelopment, the terminal will be closed and flight operations will be suspended within the next 20 to 25 days. During this time, passengers will not have access to the old building.
Instead, flights will commence from the new building of the terminal, and passengers will be permitted to enter from there. Initially, the Pune airport administration had planned to connect the old and new buildings of the terminal, a plan which had been approved by the Aviation Ministry.
However, this plan has since been revised, and it has been determined that the old building will be redeveloped instead. The old building will be closed once the new building is operational, a process which is expected to take at least 20 to 25 days. The redevelopment of the main building at Pune Airport marks the first time in 51 years that such work has been undertaken. Following the completion of the redevelopment, two buildings within the same terminal will be utilized for the transportation of planes and passengers. The airport authorities anticipate that the redeveloped terminal will be able to accommodate up to 19 million passengers annually.
