Pune International Airport’s long-pending expansion may gain momentum after Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol raised the issue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday, 10 June.
The discussion centred on the proposed expansion of the Lohegaon airport, which functions as a civil enclave alongside an Indian Air Force (IAF) base.
Mohol said the state government will acquire nearly 300 acres for the next phase of the airport’s expansion.
A key issue before the project is the availability of 35 acres of Air Force land located next to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) terminal.
According to Mohol, the Maharashtra government has expressed readiness to provide 65 acres of land in the same adjoining area to the Air Force in exchange for this parcel.
Mohol requested the Defence Ministry to issue necessary directions to the Air Force so that the land exchange process can move ahead and the expansion work can begin at a faster pace.
The issue is significant for Pune, where airport infrastructure has been under growing pressure due to rising passenger traffic and limited space for expansion.
Pune Airport handled around 10.86 million passengers in 2025, up from nearly 10.23 million in 2024, while aircraft movements rose to 70,992 from 67,484 during the same period.
The airport has also seen rising international traffic, with direct connectivity to destinations such as Dubai, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi.
Since the airport operates as a civil enclave at the Lohegaon Air Force Station, further expansion depends heavily on defence land availability and coordination with the Indian Air Force.
The Airports Authority of India has already developed a new integrated terminal at Pune to increase passenger handling capacity.
The terminal project was designed to improve facilities such as check-in counters, passenger boarding bridges, baggage handling and retail space.
However, further long-term expansion depends on additional land availability around the airport.
Mohol said the meeting with the Defence Minister was positive and that directions have been issued for further action on pending matters related to Pune.
