International flight operations yet to begin from Pune Airport new terminal
While all necessary facilities for immigration have been provided at the new terminal building, the immigration department has not yet received permission from the headquarters in Delhi
More than two months after the inauguration of the new terminal building of the Pune Airport, not a single international flight has operated from it. Reason being the immigration facility at the new terminal building has not yet started and neither has the VIKAS inspection report submitted by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security been approved.
Domestic flights from the new terminal building began on July 14 this year. While all necessary facilities for immigration have been provided at the new terminal building, the immigration department has not yet received permission from the headquarters in Delhi. The airport administration has set up a separate desk for immigration at the new terminal building, and necessary space has been provided for the employees. Other suggestions too have been worked upon. Despite this, there is no positive response from the immigration department, according to the airport administration. International flights have not yet started from the new terminal building due to the lack of immigration clearance. This in turn is affecting the functioning of the customs department. As immigration services have not yet started, the customs department, too, has not yet started functioning.
Santosh Dhoke, Pune Airport director, said, “The immigration facility at the new terminal building has not yet started due to pending approvals. Once we get the same within a month, international flight operations will start from the new terminal.”
Meanwhile, passengers are unhappy about the delay in starting international flight operations from the new terminal building. “I recently travelled from Pune airport to Dubai and going through the old terminal building which lacks facilities was frustrating. We want to travel from the new terminal building soon for international flights,” said Vipul Alekar, a frequent flyer.