Pune Airport: Government Approves OLS Survey, Paves Way for Runway Expansion

June 25, 2024 

New Delhi/Pune: The long-awaited OLS (Obstacle Limitation Surface) survey for the expansion of the runway at Pune International Airport received approval from the Ministry of Defence on Monday. This development will facilitate international flights with larger aircraft from Pune, marking a successful outcome for the efforts made by Pune’s MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by the Defence Secretary in the presence of Pune’s Divisional Commissioner. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will conduct the OLS survey, which is crucial for expanding the runway to accommodate larger aircraft.

Mohol had previously written to the Defence Minister and met with Rajnath Singh to discuss the matter. Following these efforts, the Defence Secretary approved the survey in a meeting held on Monday.

As the current runway of Pune Airport is owned by the Indian Air Force, the matter falls under the purview of the Defence Ministry. India is currently the world’s third-largest domestic civil aviation market, and Pune Airport ranks ninth among the busiest airports in the country, with over 8 million passengers last year. To sustain future growth, it is necessary to expand the runway and improve infrastructure, as emphasized by Mohol.

“The lack of direct international connectivity to countries like those in Europe, the US, and Japan is significantly impacting the city’s growth. The current short runway limits the operations of larger international aircraft (Code D/E type). The expansion of the runway is essential to facilitate the movement of these large aircraft. With the approval from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Pune Airport’s runway will be expanded, allowing larger aircraft to operate from here.”
– Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation