Ministry of Defense approves study to expand Pune airport runway to boost international operations
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has approved an obstacle limitation surface (OLS) study for the runway expansion at Pune Airport, which would enable it to handle widebody aircraft and expand its international flight network.
An OLS survey identifies and maps obstacles around an airport to ensure safe aircraft operations and comply with regulations. It creates detailed maps of protected airspace to avoid interference with takeoff, landing and maneuvering. This is crucial to accommodate widebody aircraft, which have larger fuel tanks, allowing them to operate direct flights to continents such as Europe and North America.
Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said: “The Ministry of Defense today approved the much-awaited OLS study for the expansion of the runway at Pune International Airport… In a meeting chaired by the Minister of Defense in the presence of The Pune Divisional Commissioner has decided that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will conduct the OLS investigation.”
“Such a study will enable the expansion of the airstrip, which will enable large aircraft (typically used for international travel) to fly from Pune!…I thank Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh ji for this quick decision in response to my earlier follow-up in this regard,” Mohol added.
Pune Airport is a defense airport where commercial aircraft operations are allowed at certain periods under the management of the AAI. Currently, Pune airport handles 1,264 services per week, of which only 26 are international, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. These 26 international flights are operated by SpiceJet and Vistara to Dubai and Singapore.
First print: June 24, 2024 | 7:37 PM IST