Pune: More than two years after the Pune airport started operations following the initial wave of the Corona pandemic, the Pune airport on Sunday recorded 170 flights. Also, on three other days of the month of October, air flights reached the pre-Covid level.
The Pune airport counted a total of 172 aircraft movements on 9 October with 86 departures and the same number of arrivals. The airport also noted the total number of daily flights on 7 October. Additionally, the airport noted a total of 170 aircraft movements on 6 October and 2 October. Pune usually had 170 daily airplane movements before the pandemic.
Increase in flights due to holidays
A representative of the Pune airport said the airport has been recording more flights since October, especially on Sundays. The current holiday season is one of the reasons for the same as more people are traveling, with some airlines increasing their frequencies, mostly in northern places like Delhi, but also in some southern cities. By October 15, the airport’s winter schedule should be finalized, with additional flights likely to be added.
Flights likely to increase till Diwali
Another airport official said that various Covid conversions like Delta and Omicron have come up after the initial shutdown and it is not that easy to increase the flight speed. But it is estimated that by Diwali this year, daily passenger traffic will exceed pre-pandemic levels. He expressed confidence that as more flights and passengers use the airport, the number of arrivals and departures will also increase.
Passenger numbers expected to increase
Officials said the airlines were expected to utilize around 14 more airport slots recently provided by the Defense Ministry. Sources said some of these slots have been retained by airlines and the frequency has increased for some destinations like Delhi due to the festive season. The Pune airport currently registers a movement of 21,000 to 24,000 passengers per day, with the number expected to rise further. The official said before the outbreak the daily traffic was around 31,000.
