Improvements in cargo infra, ‘Bharat Taxi’ on cards for Pune Airport: AAI Chairman

About the proposed expansion, Kumar said that the authority has sought around 300 acres of land from the state government for the project

Expansion of the Pune airport at Lohegaon, improvements in cargo infrastructure, possible runway development and passenger facilities such as ‘Bharat taxi’ were among the key topics that Vipin Kumar, chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI), touched upon while interacting with the media during a programme held in Pune Wednesday. Officials indicated that with growing passenger traffic and cargo demand, expansion of the airport infrastructure will play an important role in supporting Pune’s aviation growth.

Kumar further said that the possibility of runway expansion is also being considered, though it will depend entirely on the availability of land. (FILE)

About the proposed expansion, Kumar said that the authority has sought around 300 acres of land from the state government for the project. He said discussions are underway with the Maharashtra government regarding land acquisition and the expansion will move forward once the required land is made available. “Regarding Pune airport, we have requested 300 acres of land. We are in coordination and in touch with the state government. Once the land is provided, the expansion of Pune airport will be carried out,” Kumar said.

Kumar noted that the airport expansion will help support the growth of international flights and cargo operations at the airport. According to Kumar, cargo services are already operational at Pune airport but earlier, there were constraints that limited expansion. “While international flights and cargo operations will increase. Cargo services already exist, but there were several issues related to expansion earlier. The ministry has introduced several policy changes, including improvements in processing systems and ease-of-doing-business measures so that cargo can be processed and handled in less time,” Kumar said, adding that these changes are expected to strengthen cargo capacity and efficiency.

Kumar further said that the possibility of runway expansion is also being considered, though it will depend entirely on the availability of land. “As I mentioned earlier, if the land becomes available, the AAI will certainly undertake runway expansion at Pune airport,” he said. Kumar was quick to clarify that a specific timeline for the expansion cannot be announced at this stage. “Implementation timelines vary across different airports. Specifically for Pune, I cannot provide an exact timeline at the moment. Generally, proposals come from the concerned side, and we provide the required land. If such a proposal comes for Pune, we will provide the space,” Kumar said.

About the ‘Bharat taxi’ initiative aimed at improving last-mile connectivity for passengers at airports, Kumar said that the AAI has already signed a memorandum of understanding for the service and has provided the required space. “In ‘Bharat taxi’, we had signed an MoU and the space that was required from our side has already been provided. Once Bharat taxi starts, it will benefit passengers as well as taxi drivers because the direct benefit will go to drivers,” Kumar said.

Highlighting a key feature of the initiative, Kumar said that the service also includes safety provisions for female passengers. “They have also given an option that if a female passenger wants, she can choose a female driver. This will improve safety, promote community participation and benefit both the drivers and the passengers,” he added.

Kumar also said that the proposed developments at Pune airport, including infrastructure expansion, improved cargo facilities and better passenger services, are expected to support the city’s rapidly growing aviation sector in the coming years.