Summary
- Vistara has reportedly sought permission to start a new international flight from Pune to Dubai.
- Pune has limited international flights due to its short runway that can only support operations of single-aisle planes.
- The industrial community in Pune is supporting Vistara’s request, as they believe the Pune-Dubai route will provide important air connectivity for both leisure and business travelers.
India’s full-service airline Vistara could start another international flight from Pune in the state of Maharashtra. The airline is reportedly seeking the necessary permissions for the flight, although it remains to be seen if they are granted.
Pune to Dubai
Another non-stop connection between Pune and Dubai could start in the near future. According to a report by The Indian Express, Vistara is planning a Pune-Dubai service and has even applied for landing rights at both these airports.
Currently, SpiceJet is the only carrier that offers flights between the two cities, but given the demand for overseas travel from Pune, another flight from Vistara will likely attract many passengers as well.
Sudhir Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director of Pinnacle Industries Limited and former president of Maharatta Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA), told The Indian Express that Pune’s industrial community will also request the civil aviation ministry to approve Vistara’s request. He added,
“We expect the Pune-Dubai route to be a game-changer, offering crucial and dependable international air connectivity to the west for both leisure and business travelers. This flight can only being operations once traffic rights are granted, and slots become available in Pune.”
If the request is granted, this will be Vistara’s second international flight out of Pune, as the carrier also connects the city with Singapore with a non-stop service using one of its Airbus A321neo aircraft. The airline launched this route in December 2022.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Limited international flights out of Pune
Pune is situated very close to Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. It is home to a thriving IT industry and has several reputed universities, which is why it’s often called the ‘Oxford of the East.’ And while it’s connected with all corners of India with domestic flights, the same can’t be said about international services.
One of the several reasons Pune doesn’t have many international flights, despite strong demand from the business and student communities, is its short runway. As such, flights to Europe and beyond that require large aircraft cannot be operated as Pune Airport’s runway is suitable only for smaller airplanes such as the Airbus A320 family of jets and the Boeing 737.
Years ago, Lufthansa flew its Boeing 737 with lie-flat beds between Frankfurt and Pune. The flight catered to the high inflow of business travelers but was eventually suspended. Even now, the only international flights out of the city – to Dubai and Singapore – are possible because they can be operated using single-aisle airplanes.
Photo: cameranest | Shutterstock
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Another reason for limited operations in Pune is that the city’s airport is part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Lohegaon. Its civil enclave handles commercial flights, but the airport is primarily used to train pilots by the IAF, which also controls its air-traffic control and the runway. Certain hours of the day are off-limits for commercial flights, further limiting the airport’s capacity.
There have been requests from various communities to build a dedicated civilian airport in the city, but nothing has materialized so far.
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