Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the eagerly awaited new terminal of Pune International Airport through a video-conferencing session on March 10, the officials announced on Thursday.
Airport Authority of India (AAI) Director Santosh Dhoke has confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new terminal in the presence of distinguished guests, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other officials.
Opposition parties have criticized the Centre for the delayed inauguration of the new terminal at Pune International Airport, which has been ready for weeks. Allegedly, the delay is due to the Prime Minister’s unavailability.
After the formal inauguration, flight safety and other tests shall be con- ducted for over a month before it will be opened for regular operations.
Built at a cost of Rs 423 crore, the swank terminal building with modern amenities is sprawled over nearly 52,000 square metres of land acquired from the Indian Air Force (IAF). The new terminal can handle around 3,000 flyers per hour and over 90 lakh travellers per annum and will help enhance the passenger handling capacity from the existing 7.20 mil- lion to 12-million plus.
It has parking space for more than 1,000 vehicles, 34 check-in counters, 15 lifts and 8 escalators. After the new terminal becomes fully operational, the AAI plans to take up the renovation of the existing terminal building.
The new terminal has bits of Maharashtrian architecture with a façade designed on the famed Shaniwar Wada fort, cultural artfacts and historical facets at various locations, and will be linked to the Pune Metro lines.
According to the AAI, the airport has a 2.53 km-long runway (10/28), and an unused secondary runway is now being utilised as a taxiway by the IAF which has its base to the east of the airport, plus a 2.20 km x 23 metre parallel runway for civil operations, fully equipped with night landing, modern navigation and communications facilities.
In January, Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, had inspected the new terminal building which was being given finishing touches at that time. Later Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar had also gone around it for an inspection.
The new terminal has bits of Maharashtrian architecture with a façade designed on the famed Shaniwar Wada fort, cultural artfacts and historical facets at various locations, and will be linked to the Pune Metro lines.
According to the AAI, the airport has a 2.53 km-long runway (10/28), and an unused secondary runway is now being utilised as a taxiway by the IAF which has its base to the east of the airport, plus a 2.20 km x 23 metre parallel runway for civil operations, fully equipped with night landing, modern navigation and communications facilities.
In January, Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, had inspected the new terminal building which was being given finishing touches at that time. Later Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar had also gone around it for an inspection.