Pune: The city airport is expected to receive 13 acres from the Indian Air Force by the end of Aug or in Sept, airport director Santosh Dhoke told TOI on Tuesday. The land will be used to set up basic infrastructure, including additional aircraft parking bays, and this will allow more flights to take-off and touchdown without facing congestion-related issues.“In exchange for the land, we are required to build office structures for IAF on another land parcel. Work on this is 95% complete, and we should be able to hand it over within three months, after which we will get possession of the 13 acres,” Dhoke said, adding that they will then prepare a master plan for the project.The flight movements reached 212 on Sunday, the highest ever. Last week, IAF provided 15 more slots — between 6am and 10.30pm — to airport authorities for commercial flights. The number of slots has now increased to 235, of which 207 are occupied.Dhoke said there are proposals to build five more parking bays and three remote aircraft bays on the 13 acres. “Also, in line with the increased flight movements and passengers, more development works are in the offing.” The airport currently has 10 parking bays, but at times they are occupied, resulting in delayed landing and flight bunching. “These additional bays should be ready by the end of the year or early next year, provided everything goes smoothly. Also, work on the arrival area of the old building is in full swing and will be completed and commissioned by Dec. As this area is being converted into another departure area with 14 check-in counters, we should be comfortable handling the increased number of flights,” the director said.In a bid to enhance facilities for flyers, the airport on Tuesday opened a food court located towards the airside. Passengers can grab a bite before entering the airport for check-in. Deepak Shastri, an aviation expert and former director of Pune and Shirdi airports, said such passenger facilities were important. “If there are slots, at least some of them will be taken by airlines, resulting in a rise in flight and passenger movements. If the infrastructure does not grow proportionately, conditions can become very tough for flyers, airlines, and the airport. The focus should be on completing these projects on time.”
