Pune airport new terminal building awaits inauguration to start ops

There was an urgent need for a bigger terminal building, given the increasing number of flight operations and newer destinations being connected to Pune airport

While the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) was last slated to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2023, it is yet to begin operations more than three months after its completion.

The work of the new integrated terminal building work was awarded to a company named ITD Cementation India Ltd. (SHANKAR NARAYAN/ HT PHOTO)

A senior official from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on condition of anonymity said, “The work of the NITB has been completed and even our trial runs have been carried out. But as we are not getting dates from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for the inauguration, the official announcement to begin operations from the new terminal building has not been made. Hopefully by the end of this month, the new terminal building will be inaugurated and will start operations.”

Already, the work of the NITB had missed five to six deadlines given by the agencies. There was an urgent need for a bigger terminal building, given the increasing number of flight operations and newer destinations being connected to 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 the construction of a new terminal building at a cost of ₹475 crore, a multilevel car parking at a cost of ₹120 crore, and a new cargo complex at a cost of about ₹300 crore. The new terminal building is located towards the eastern side of the existing terminal building. While the size of the current terminal building is 22,300 square metres, once the new terminal building comes up, the total size of the airport will be 74,300 square metres. The work of the new integrated terminal building work was awarded to a company named ITD Cementation India Ltd. While France-based company ‘Egis’ was appointed as the consultant for the work of the new terminal building.

“We are really fed up of travelling by the old terminal building at Pune airport as it stinks and there is no proper maintenance. Also, a metro like Pune needs to have a bigger terminal building like Mumbai and Delhi,” said Keshav Kumbre, a regular flyer.