Airports Authority of India (AAI) recently took to Twitter to announce that an integrated terminal building was being built at the Pune airport. Featuring world-class amenities and better capacity, the terminal is set for completion in 18 months. By Eshita Srinivas
The AAI has undertaken the construction of a new terminal building at Pune airport. The government body spotlighted the various features of the new terminal in a series of tweets, adding that over 65 percent of the work had been completed. The estimated cost of the building is INR 475 crore, and work is set to conclude by August 2023.
The new terminal at Pune airport will reduce congestion during peak hours
#AAI‘s #Pune @aaipunairport will get new terminal #Building with enhanced capacity and reflection of cultural heritage. NITB with enhanced capacity and world-class facilities is under construction at an estimated cost of Rs. 475Cr. (1/2) @aairedwr @PIBMumbai @maha_tourism pic.twitter.com/HrT1mp64kL
— Airports Authority of India (@AAI_Official) March 17, 2022
The existing terminal building in Pune, a news report by Zee News states, has a built-up area of 22,300 square metres and has a handling capacity of 70 lakh passengers per annum. The new state-of-the-art terminal will span over 5,00,000 square feet, aiming to ease congestion during peak hours and increase capacity to 1.60 crore passengers per annum.
The new building will have central air-conditioning with 10 passenger boarding bridges, 72 check-in counters, and an in-line baggage handling system. The terminal will be energy-efficient with a huge canopy on the city side and a four-star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) rating. An area of 36, 500 square feet has been chalked out for retail as well as food and beverage outlets, The Financial Express adds.
A 36-metre long verandah has been planned as well, giving protection from the weather and serving as a grand urban fresco that will showcase the social, historical, and artistic culture of Maharashtra and Pune, a report by News18 states. In line with this, the verandah is supported with Maratha-style arches and decorated with local dark stone, found in heritage structures of the state.
A forecourt garden is also in the works, inspired by the popular Shaniwar Wada gardens, the great seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire. Besides this, multi-level parking with the capacity to hold over 1,000 vehicles is set to be commissioned by 2022, at the cost of INR 120 crore. It will be, according to AAI, connected to the existing building with a sky bridge, with provisions for staircase, escalators, and elevators.
All images: Courtesy Airports Authority of India
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