Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said 14 new slots have been given to the Pune airport in Maharashtra, due to which the number of slots will now range from 114 to 145 on various days. He said multiple demands had come to his ministry pertaining to increasing connectivity from the Pune airport, which operates from the Indian Air Force station at Lohegaon, and the first demand was to enhance the number of slots.
“Since the Pune airport is a defence airport, permission for additional slots is given by the Ministry of Defence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given acceptance to the additional slots, and therefore, 14 new slots have been given to Pune,” Scindia told reporters here. “After this addition, from Monday to Saturday, there will be 114 slots instead of the current 102. On Sunday, the slots will rise from the current 131 to 145. There is also a demand to to increase international connectivity of the Pune airport, with specific demands for Singapore, Doha and Bangkok,” he added.
The minister said a proposal from Vistara Airlines for a Pune-Singapore flight has been received and it will be accepted, while airlines will be consulted for demands pertaining to Doha and Bangkok. Scindia was in Pune to attend an event organized by a city-based industry body. (PTI)