Pune International Airport project gains momentum

After 14 long years of wait, Pune International Airport project seems to be set for take off. Chief Minister of Maharashtra has made it clear that technical team from Airport Authority of India (AAI) will conduct preliminary study of Rajgurunagar, near Khed Special Economic Zone, in the first week of September, its a long way to take off.  

However, it is still not clear whether it will come up at Rajgurunagar or Chakan due to political and industrial issues. The project has been pending for last 14 years because of several issues including land acquisition and strong opposition from farmers to give up their land for this project. Earlier, at least three sites were idendified in last 10 years. State administration and political leaders have not revealed these locations. The issue has been pending for last 14 years.

The special economic zone (SEZ) project in Khed (Rajgurunagar) has been developed by Kalyani Group led by B N Kalyani.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s tweet that the technical team from Airport Authority of India (AAI) will conduct preliminary study of Rajgurunagar site, near Khed Special Economic Zone, in the first week of September.

The tweet by the CM says: “For Greenfield International Airport development at Rajgurunagar (New Chakan), AAI to send a team for preliminary study in first week of September.”

The proposed site includes over five villages — Koye, Pait, Andra, Chikhali, Askhed. The satellite mapping was done and the runaway alignment too was considered in the survey. More than 1,500 hectare at a stretch will be made available for the proposed airport of which it is believed that 40 per cent would be government land and 60 per cent would have to be acquired.

According to district collector Saurabh Rao, the AAI team will visit only the Chakan during September.

The Civil Aviation ministry and AAI will collaborate with Maharashtra government to develop 10 small airports in the state as part of the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme, it was announced here on Tuesday.

An agreement to the effect was signed here making the state the first in the country under the Civil Aviation ministry's ambitious National Civil Aviation Policy announced earlier this year to boost RCS.

The 10 selected airports are at Shirdi, Jalgaon, Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nanded, Amravati and Gondia. Of these, Shirdi Airport will begin operations from November, while an AAI team will come in early September to conduct a preliminary study of the proposed Greenfield international airport at New Chakan, Pune, Fadnavis said.

All the upcoming airports shall be provided with infrastructure like roads, railways, metro and waterways and the state government would provide various amenities at concessional rates, as per the MoU.