- PM Modi will undertake a walkthrough of the airport and inaugurate it around 3.30 pm. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.
- “The wait is finally over,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X. “This airport is set to redefine air travel, boost Maharashtra’s growth, and connect India to the world like never before,” he added.
- Built at a cost of Rs 19,650 crore, the airport is initially expected to handle 2 crore passengers a year. It will not only facilitate seamless travel but also provide direct access to global markets for industries in Pune.
- The airport is built under a Public-Private Partnership between Mumbai International Airport Ltd (a subsidiary of Adani Airports Holdings Ltd), and CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd).
- Ahead of the inauguration, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani praised the collective efforts behind the project. Responding to a post on X by Jeet Adani, Director of Airports at the Adani Group and his youngest son, Gautam Adani wrote, “To every hand that worked and every heart that cared, this is your creation”.
- The airport will “propel Maharashtra to new heights,” said Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol in a post on X. The project will bring significant benefits to Pune, Mumbai, and Konkan, providing provide direct access to global markets, he said.
- The country’s largest Greenfield airport project with a 3,700-metre runway, it would work with Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
- The second international airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region would ease congestion and elevate Mumbai into the league of cities with multi-airport systems like London, Tokyo and New York.
- Airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express have already announced plans to begin operations, with initial flights connecting various domestic cities.
- Once completed, the airport will serve 90 million passengers and manage over 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo a year.