Pune: After recording a 35% rise in international passenger traffic in the 2025-26 financial year compared to the previous fiscal, the city airport is now bracing for a slowdown. The ongoing West Asia crisis and rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices are expected to significantly impact international travel from the city.
The effects are already visible, with the number of direct international flights dropping to three from six earlier. Airport director Santosh Dhoke acknowledged the situation, noting that while operations at Dubai were gradually normalising, airlines such as IndiGo and Air India Express were yet to resume services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Currently, only SpiceJet's Dubai flight remains operational.
"The airport has sufficient slots to accommodate more international flights and discussions with airlines are ongoing. However, the final decision rests with the carriers, who are closely assessing the geopolitical and economic environment before committing to routes. We are hopeful the situation will improve and more international flights will return," he said.
In 2025-26, Pune airport handled 3.39 lakh international passengers, up from 2.52 lakh the previous year – a growth far higher than domestic traffic, which rose by about 4.5%. Until last year, Pune had six international routes: two to Dubai, and one each to Abu Dhabi, Singapore and two to Bangkok. However, Air India suspended its Singapore flight in June 2025, while IndiGo and Air India Express halted services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi more recently due to the West Asia conflict.
With Air India Express and IndiGo not answering when they planned to resume the flights, airport officials remained cautious. SpiceJet's Dubai service, once consistently full, has also been affected, including a cancellation on May 4 following airspace disruptions in the UAE.
07/05/2026 Joy Sengupta/Times of India
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