Inoperative lights hit Pune airport for 3 hours, flights delayed

Flights from Pune’s Lohegaon airport were disrupted for nearly three hours on Tuesday evening following problems in the approach lights at the runway and taxiway.

At least five flights, two from Delhi and one each from Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad were delayed.

Sources from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Lohegaon airport said the approach lights at the runway and taxiway became inoperative. “The authorities of the Indian Air Force informed us at about 4.30 pm about the development,” said an AAI official.

The airport, which is part of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter base, is managed by the IAF. The local AAI authorities immediately informed the airlines about the development.

“They got in touch with their counterparts at different destinations, alerting them not to send Pune-bound flights due to the problem,” the sources added.

According to the airport director, PSRK Sudhakar, the IAF officers detected fluctuations in the lights. He said the disruption of the flights was for about two hours.

“The lights were restored by 6.30pm after which an Indian Airlines flight to Delhi took off from the airport,” Sudhakar added.

According to him, while the lighting at the apron, where the planes are parked and at the terminal are looked after by the AAI, the lighting on the runway is managed by the IAF.