New Delhi: After clearing the hurdles in building new airports in Mumbai and Goa, the civil aviation ministry has now turned its focus on Pune airport. The airport, which has logged passenger growth of about 100% during the April-January this fiscal, is being operated out of an airport that's owned by the Indian Air Force. "There are a lot of restrictions in operating out of a civil enclave, which hampers aviation growth at these airports. We will be writing to the state government to expedite the process of availability of land for the proposed airport so that construction can start," said a senior ministry official, who did not wish to be identified. The proposal for a new airport for Pune is being discussed since 2004, and the Maharashtra government is working with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to identify land for the project but has not been able to finalise the site yet.
Unlike civil airports, the civil enclaves are not always available for civil operations as the owner of the airport— the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy — uses it for their practice sorties. In the case of Pune, the airport is shut for about three hours in the morning, and used to be shut during the evening as well but that has been relaxed now.
29/03/16 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times
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Unlike civil airports, the civil enclaves are not always available for civil operations as the owner of the airport— the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy — uses it for their practice sorties. In the case of Pune, the airport is shut for about three hours in the morning, and used to be shut during the evening as well but that has been relaxed now.
29/03/16 Mihir Mishra/Economic Times
