Renovation of Pune Airport’s Old Terminal Building to Commence in June

Pune: The redevelopment of the existing terminal building at the city airport is scheduled to commence in June, with a budget of Rs 25 crore allocated for the project, according to senior airport officials. 

“The integration of the existing building with the new terminal is already complete. Additional equipment will be installed as the renovation progresses,” a Pune airport official stated.

Airport sources revealed that the new terminal building is now projected to become operational by June this year, once renovation work on the existing building begins. The redevelopment of the existing structure is anticipated to be finished by March next year.

Passengers traveling to and from the city have long voiced concerns about the disorder and inadequate facilities, given the issues plaguing the existing terminal building and the non-operational status of the new one, despite its virtual inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 10, 2024.

An anonymous airport official outlined the anticipated improvements, stating, “The arrival area of the existing building will be converted into an additional departure area, and the first floor will be transformed into a new security hold area. In the new departure area, 16 new check-in counters will be added, along with five new X-ray baggage scanning machines.”

“The existing departure area will be dismantled, along with the current four baggage conveyor belts,” the official added.

While the new building already boasts an inline baggage screening system, allowing passengers to bypass airline scanning machines, sources indicated that both types of check-in procedures are expected to be available at the facility.

The official noted, “We are awaiting approval for the floor plan in the new building to install food counters; the additional Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) contingent is yet to be assigned. Additionally, with renovation work on the existing building set to commence in June, we will transition operations to the new building simultaneously. 

However, these plans are contingent on approvals from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the necessary workforce, which are expected imminently. Completion of works in the existing building is estimated to take around eight or nine months.”

Source : TOI