Red-eye flights could help Pune Airport in filling 38 empty slots 

Airport officials hold out hope that airlines will soon fill its 38 available slots, most of which are red-eye flights, in response to the shifting travel trends. However, aviation experts caution that this is unlikely to happen until carriers have found a balance between supply, demand, and other commercial factors.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Santosh Dhoke, Director, Pune Airport, said “The airlines see their commercial viability as in if they are getting a high demand from passengers from an airport & according to that, they fill up the empty slots. Currently, around 90 departures & arrivals take place from Pune Airport daily. To fill the open slots, we have been actively pursuing the airlines. Nearly all of them occur in the early morning and late night.”

According to another Pune airport official, starting in 2023, people’s priority has shifted to travel. Many stayed away from red-eye flights until 2020. The situation has evolved. Over 70% of red-eye flights are currently full. This move may be beneficial because airlines now consider the business side of things before launching new flights, potentially filling empty seats. They are approaching all airlines about it proactively in the hopes that some of these slots will be filled.

According to an aviation expert, the most important factors for airlines were supply, demand, and commercial considerations. Aircraft availability is a crucial concern for all airlines nowadays. Airlines will find it difficult to quickly remove their historic slots in order to begin operating new red-eye flights if the load factor is below 70%. For minor returns, airlines will not hire new employees, including pilots. Pune’s runway length needs to be extended. Less flights but more passengers are guaranteed. Airlines don’t really care about travel trends.

Shreyas Vange