Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday that Pune is set to have a new airport within the next 3-4 years. This revelation comes as the city prepares for the inauguration of the new terminal at Lohegaon Airport, scheduled for Sunday. Despite facing challenges in land acquisition and opposition from locals, the state government plans to build a new airport at Purandar.
The new terminal at Lohegaon Airport, spanning 51,595 square meters, is expected to handle 12 million passengers annually, a significant upgrade from the current capacity of 7.2 million. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually inaugurate the terminal.
Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Conclave organized by the Pune Platform for Collaborative Response (PPCR), Fadnavis expressed confidence in Pune getting another new airport in the coming years. He stated, “The work for the new airport will start this year itself, with land acquisition to be completed in 2024.”
In addition to the airport announcement, Fadnavis shared that the state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre to develop a new expressway between Pune and Sambhajinagar, connecting to the Samruddhi Highway.
“The agreement for the new greenfield expressway was signed on Friday. It will pass through Ahmednagar, and once complete, the distance between Pune and Sambhajinagar will be reduced to two to two-and-a-half hours,” he explained.
The six-lane expressway, spanning around 230 kilometers, will acquire 3,752 hectares at a cost of ₹4,437. Fadnavis stated that the construction cost of the project would be ₹7,132, and the expressway will connect to the ring road in Pune district. Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), a government undertaking, will oversee both projects.
