Pune
Airport: [Airport code: PNQ]
The Pune airport is under the management
and control of the Airports Authority of India.
Situated at a distance of approximately 10 km to the
northeast of the city, the airport is presently sharing
its runway with the Lohegaon Air Base.
The airport in Pune served only domestic flights for
quite a long time. However, quite recently it started
operating flights to international destinations also.
Air India operates direct flights from Pune
to Dubai and Indian airlines, from Pune
to Singapore. Read on to know more about Pune
India airport.
Pune airport is connected to almost all the major cities
in India, like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad,
etc. There are plans to construct a new airport for
the city of Pune. The Government of Maharashtra
has handed over the responsibility of executing the
Pune International Airport project
to MIDC. The new airport is proposed
to be built between the area of Chakan and Rajgurunagar.
Lying at a distance of approximately 40 km from the
city, this airport will be along the Pune-Nashik
National Highway.
About pune:
Pune formerly known as Poona,
is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra
in western India, around 160 kilometers southeast of
the state capital, Mumbai. It is also the seventh
largest city in India. Situated 560 metres
above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence
of the Mula and Mutha rivers, Pune
is the administrative capital of Pune district
and the eighth most populous metropolitan
area in India. Pune was also declared as the 7th
Metro city in India by ASSOCHAM.
Pune is known to have existed as a
town since 937 AD. Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha
Empire, lived in Pune as a boy, and later oversaw significant
growth and development of the town during his reign.
In 1730, Pune became an important political centre as
the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the
Chhatrapati of Satara. After the town was annexed
to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment
town and as the "monsoon capital"
of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.
In independent India, Pune is known for its educational
facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes
and nine universities. It also boasts a growing industrial
hinterland, with many information technology and automotive
companies setting up factories in Pune district.
From Mumbai three different flights arrive at Pune
daily whereas from Delhi to Pune IndianAirlines
and other private airlines provide their flights. Thus,
Pune also finds itself easily accessible by air to some
of the most important cities of India. Important information
related to the flights taking off from Pune and arriving
in the city, names of airlines with their contact numbers,
the departure and arrival schedule etc.
As Pune airport is in fact an Air
Force Base operated by the Indian Air Force
(IAF), there is at times frequent friction
between the Airports Authority of India (AAI)
and the IAF over schedules of flights or the landing
of aircraft at night. However there is currently a basic
working relationship between the two concerned parties
and both have agreed to allow night landings of civilian
flights for the time being, though this is
not a long-term solution.
A brand new greenfield Pune International Airport
for the Pune metropolitan region has been on the horizon
for a long time and Government of Maharashtra has entrusted
the responsibility to Maharashtra Industrial
Development Corporation (MIDC) for executing
the Pune International Airport project.
The AAI is constructing additional
terminals, since the current terminal can handle only
550 people at a time. After construction, it will be
able to handle over 1200 people at a time. The new terminal
will be built to international standards.
Destinations within India include the four metros and
Ahmedabad. Domestic operators are planning to start
flights to Aurangabad. Some other domestic destinations
are Kochi, Nagpur, Indore and Guwahati etc. |
