Flyers arriving at the Pune airport will be able to buy Pune metro tickets at the airport itself starting in January next year. Hemant Sonavane, public relations officer of Maha Metro, confirmed the same. He said, “We have already contacted Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd. (PMPML) to provide buses between the airport and the Ramwadi metro station.
Flyers will be able to catch a feeder bus from the airport to the Ramwadi metro station for their final destination.”Work is being expedited on the remaining four metro stations between Ruby Hall and Ramwadi, Sonavane added. Earlier metro officials had said that while talks with PMPML to ply more buses in order to cover the 2km distance between Ramwadi and Lohegaon airport were on, efforts to appoint new operators for the service were also being explored.
Ashwin Oswal, a student who lives in Nigdi and travels to Delhi, often said it was a good idea. “It will be good for many flyers. Metro is a cheap mode of transport compared to costly cabs and autorickshaws. One can reach the airport and return from there pretty fast, provided the bus system is effective,” Oswal said.
Kareem Siddiqui, another frequent flyer, wasn’t convinced. “Why can’t they just extend the metro until the airport by negotiating with the defence officials? The majority of flyers arrive at the airport with a lot of luggage. Do PMPML buses have the space to incorporate so much luggage? Almost all flights have more than 150 passengers and 80% of them are carrying at least two suitcases and carry-on luggage. They just need to extend the metro,” the Fatimanagar resident and businessman said.
Aviation analyst and expert Dhairyashil Vandekar agreed. “The defence authorities have been giving a lot of land to the airport authorities for expansion. Then why cannot land be given for extension of the metro till the Pune airport? I have written a letter to the Prime Minister requesting the same,” he said.
Back in 2019, when Ajay Kumar was the director of the Pune airport, he said that a request had been sent to the metro authorities to extend their service to the airport.
Relief for flyers: Delhi airport gets two new approach flyoversTwo new flyovers, the Aerocity flyover and Parallel Access Road flyover, have been inaugurated at the Delhi airport to alleviate traffic congestion.
The Aerocity flyover, which is a one-way flyover, will reduce travel time between terminals T1 and T3. The Parallel Access Road flyover is part of a dedicated corridor for cargo terminals and will segregate heavy vehicular traffic from passenger vehicles. The construction of these flyovers aims to provide a seamless transit experience for passengers at the Delhi airport. Plans for a Y-shaped mini flyover to further improve traffic flow remain pending.
