Pune: Damaged Air India Plane Moved to Air Force Base, Freeing Parking Bay for Normal Operation

The damaged Air India plane, which had been occupying a parking bay at Pune International Airport for the past one and a half months, has finally been relocated to the adjacent Indian Air Force area. This significant move follows Union Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol’s successful request for permission from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who approved the request within 24 hours.

The presence of the damaged aircraft had caused substantial disruption to passenger traffic and flight schedules at Pune Airport. On May 17, a Delhi-bound Air India flight carrying 180 passengers collided with a pushback tug vehicle, resulting in damage to the plane’s belly. While no passengers were injured, the aircraft’s damaged state rendered one of the airport’s ten parking bays unusable, leading to increased pressure on the remaining bays and frequent delays.

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With the repair of the aircraft likely to take additional time, relocating it to the Air Force premises emerged as a viable temporary solution to alleviate the situation. Union Minister Mohol discussed the matter with Defence Minister Singh, emphasizing the urgent need to move the aircraft to restore normal operations at the airport. The permission was swiftly granted following their meeting.

“By removing the damaged plane, the people of Pune will get a big relief and the disrupted schedule will be restored,” said Minister Mohol. He further explained, “One out of ten bays was significantly closed, with a single bay handling 8 to 9 planes daily. The closure of this bay added strain to the other nine bays, collapsing the schedule.”

After inspecting the parking bay with officials, Minister Mohol proposed the option of relocating the aircraft to the Air Force premises. He promptly sent a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and met him to expedite the process. This quick action has provided significant relief to passengers in Pune. “On behalf of the people of Pune, we extend our gratitude to Defence Minister Singh for his prompt decision,” Mohol added.

All parking bays at Pune Airport are now operational, and within a few hours, flight schedules are expected to normalize, bringing much-needed relief to passengers and airport staff alike.