IAF’s upgradation move to hit flight plans for 6 mnths

The flight schedule at Pune airport is likely to be affected for six months as the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be taking up modernisation work of the Pune airbase under its ambitious project, ‘Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure’ (MAFI).

The IAF has decided to implement the project at its 26 airbases across India. The maiden project has already been implemented at the Bhatinda airbase.

The Pune airbase will be the second place where this project will be implemented from November this year. Tata Power has bagged the contract to implement the project. Once the project starts, the airport will be closed for flight operations every day from 10 pm to 8 am.

IAF authorities recently held a meeting with the representatives of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) and airlines to discuss their plans to implement the project at Lohegaon airport.  MCCIA president SK Jain said, “Nearly 100 civil flights are operated from Lohegaon airport daily, however, once the project kicks off, some of the scheduled flights including international flights could be affected.”

Many businessmen and officials from corporate houses in the city prefer to travel out of the city in the morning and come back in the evening on the same day, therefore many flights operate between 5 am and 8 am, however, once the MAFI project starts, there are chances of disruption in the flight schedule.

“Lufthansa flights operate for Frankfurt and the Indian airlines operates for Dubai, but the schedule of these flights is likely to be affected during the MAFI project. Therefore, we have requested both the airlines to adjust their flight timings,” Jain said.

Under the project, modern gadgets like Instrument Landing System (ILS), CAT2 (new airfield landing) and automated Area Traffic Control system would be installed that would help both the IAF and the civilian flight operators to improve the air space management.

The runway central line at Lohegaon airport will have to be dug up for fixing the lights and the runway will be cut for cabling. The work on the approach and the middle path will be completed in around 3.5 months and the IAF has indicated that they would go all out to ensure that maximum possible flights take off and land at the airport.