Purandar airport original site receives approval from DGCA, MoD
With the approvals, about 99 per cent technical issues related to the proposed airport has been addressed and the next step is land acquisition, said Mohol
The ministry of defence (MoD) and the Directorate General of Civic Aviation (DGCA) have approved the proposed airport at the original site in Purandar, clearing all technical hurdles for the project, said Murlidhar Mohol, who was recently appointed as the minister of state for civil aviation and cooperation.
The Member of Parliament (MP) shared the decisions taken at the central level with reporters on Saturday upon his arrival in Pune first time after sworn-in as central minister.
According to Mohol, while MoD gave the green signal in May 2024, he got to know about DGCA approval for airport project in the morning.
“With the approvals, about 99 per cent technical issues related to the proposed airport has been addressed and the next step is land acquisition,” he said, adding that he will take it up with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), DGCA, and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC).
On the Pune airport runway expansion and starting of new terminal, Mohol said that Union home minister Amit Shah has already cleared Central Industrial Security Force’s (CISF) proposal to allot 241 personnel for the new terminal building. A meeting has been planned on Sunday with the airport director and the divisional commissioner on expansion of runway for which additional 35 acres need to be acquired.
“For bigger aircraft of D and E type to fly from Pune airport, we need to expand the runway for which 35 acres is needed. Plan will be made to allocate fund for land acquisition from the state government, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations,” he said.
While C-type aircraft have size between 24 to 36 metres, D is 36-52 metre and E in the range of 52 to 65 metres.
Mohol said, “The launch of new terminal building was awaited due to approval for CISF personnel. Amit Shah has assured me to allot manpower at the earliest.”
Meanwhile, the MP received a warm welcome from supporters at Pune airport upon his arrival Saturday morning. Mahayuti workers and leaders also made Rangoli designs in front of his house.
Mohol praised the party for providing opportunities for grassroots workers to rise to prominent positions. “It is only in the BJP that such things can happen. I am proud of my party,” he said, adding that his appointment as a central minister is a matter of pride for party workers and the people of Pune.
He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside Shah and emphasised the importance of collaborating across all 288 assembly constituencies and strengthen the Mahayuti government.