Pune airport to close for 15 days in February

Mumbai/Pune: In an unusual move, the Pune airport will be closed for two weeks, starting 12 February.
The decision is raising protests from both airlines and CEOs, such as Rahul Bajaj.
Thirty-five flights, both domestic and international, take off from Pune airport, which is run by the Indian Air Force, every week. The airport is also a base for private jets of several companies based in the city.
The air force, in a letter to the Airports Authority of India, a copy of which was reviewed by Mint, said the airfield will close due to resurfacing and other associated work in progress, including digging work on runway edge and building a rapid taxi way. Even now, there have been continuous disruptions in flights at the airport because of maintenance work.
Capt. Deepak Shastri, director of Pune airport, said the airport has to be closed for technical and safety reasons. “We thought about all aspects before deciding on a complete closure of airport. Keeping it open during renovation was not an option, considering the criticality of the nature of the work. It is better to lose revenue for 15 days rather than having long repercussions,” Shastri said.
27/12/07 P.R. Sanjai and Sudha Menon/Livemint

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Categories: Airports Dec 2007