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Finally, New Airport Terminal Building in Pune to be operational from October
Pune Airport's New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) is set to be operational from October after missing several deadlines. The new terminal has a built-up area of 50,000 sq m and will have 10 aerobridges and 72 check-in counters. The construction of the new terminal building is part of an expansion project that also includes a multilevel car park and new cargo complex. The need for the new terminal arose due to increased flight operations and new destinations being connected.
After missing over five to six deadlines, the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) at Pune Airport, Lohegaon, is now in its final stages and will be operational from the month of October.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) confirmed the completion of the new terminal building, and said that a few minor works are underway before the official inauguration next month. “The construction and internal work of the NITB has been completed, and trial runs of various systems and operations have now been started by various departments. The work has been completed and by next month, the new terminal building will be operational,” said Santosh Dhoke, director, Pune Airport.
The NITB has a total built-up area of 50,000 square metres, and the completed building will have 10 aerobridges and 72 check-in counters. Three aerobridges will be connected to the old- and new- terminal buildings. The Pune Airport expansion project includes construction of a new terminal building at a cost of ₹475 crores, multilevel car parking at a cost of ₹120 crores, and new cargo complex at a cost of ₹300 crores. The construction of the new terminal building has been completed, and it is towards the eastern side of the existing terminal building.
While the size of the existing terminal building is 22,300 square metres, the total size of the airport will be 74,300 square metres once the new terminal building comes up. The NITB work was awarded to a company named ITD Cementation India Ltd. While France-based company ‘Egis’ was appointed consultant for the work. “The existing Pune Airport terminal building is the worse, and there is no cleanliness and maintenance in this building. The toilets are always stinking and even the other facilities are not good, so we hope that the new terminal building will offer a better travelling experience to passengers,” said Meenakshi Katariya, a frequent flyer. The need for a new terminal building arose due to increase in the number of flight operations and new destinations being connected to Pune in the last few months.
