AAI Chief Says Air Force Has Given Green Signal For Pune’s New Airport
Gurpurasad Mohapatra, chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), yesterday (12 January) said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has given clearance for the new Pune International Airport in Purandar, reports the Times of India.
With the IAF agreeing, one can expect the project to move ahead when it comes to the land acquisition process and other works.Guruprasad Mohapatra
The airport’s location was finalised in late 2016 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Named the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje International Airport, it was handed over to the state-run Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) who has not been able to take it forward for want of clearance from the Ministry of Defence.
However, Managing Director of the MADC Suresh Kakani said that the company had not got any word of the clearance yet.
A new airport has been proposed in Pune for several years now due to the lack of expansion opportunities at the existing Viman Nagar airport that operates out of a civil enclave at the Air Force Station (AFS) Lohegaon.
Also Read: The Promise Of Pune’s New Airport: How It Can Change The City’s Fortunes