Parking bay shortage delays arrivals at Pune Airport
Pune airport director said the parking situation has been challenging because some IndiGo aircraft are still occupying operational bays.
PUNE: With IndiGo struggling to streamline operations after a week of disruptions, many of its aircraft remain parked in their allocated bays owing to operational constraints, leading to a shortage of available parking bays for other aircraft, which are being forced to wait on the taxiway before deboarding passengers.
To ease passengers and maintain steady terminal operations, Pune airport has implemented a series of measures. More than 200 additional chairs have been arranged across the check-in, security hold, and arrivals’ areas, including priority seating for senior citizens and passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs). Airlines, with assistance from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), have been distributing drinking water and refreshments, and providing medical aid where needed. Additional duty terminal managers, helpdesk personnel, and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) staff have been deployed to streamline crowd movement and improve overall facilitation.
Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said that the airport is working in close coordination with IndiGo to address parking bay constraints. “The parking situation has been challenging because some IndiGo aircraft are still occupying operational bays. However, we have made coordinated arrangements with the airline to manage these stranded aircraft and ensure uninterrupted operations for other carriers. On the landside, we have strengthened traffic management, added shuttle buses, deployed more wardens, and placed extra personnel across key points in the terminal. Our priority is to ensure that every passenger remains supported, informed, and comfortable. All our teams are functioning round-the-clock to maintain safe and smooth airport operations despite the ongoing disruptions,” Dhoke said.
Meanwhile, passengers continue to face extended waiting times and last-minute schedule changes.
Sushmita Iyer, a passenger who flew into Pune from Bengaluru, said, “Our flight landed on time but we were told that there was no bay available and had to sit inside the aircraft for nearly 40 minutes. The crew tried to keep us calm, but the delay was frustrating, especially after hearing that some flights were still stuck on the ground.”
In a separate statement, IndiGo said that the airline is making ‘significant and sustained improvements’ to stabilise operations across its network. The airline said that cancellations are now being made earlier in the planning stage to allow passengers more timely communication, while on-time performance and service recovery efforts have improved. “Today, December 7, we are on track to operate over 1,650 flights, up from around 1,500 yesterday. Our on-time performance is at 75%, compared to ~30% yesterday. Refund and luggage processes are in full action, both for direct and indirect bookings. Our teams are working relentlessly to stabilise operations and enhance the travel experience,” the statement read.
