Runway extension hits air pocket

Siddhartha D. Kashyap / TNN / May 25, 2007, 02:38 IST

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The proposed runway extension at Lohegaon airport has suffered a setback with the Pune district administration now admitting that the work would not be possible along with the runway recarpeting.

PUNE: The proposed runway extension at Lohegaon airport has suffered a setback with the Pune district administration now admitting that the work would not be possible along with the runway re-carpeting.
Land acquisition officer at the collectorate, Suresh Jadhav, on Thursday told TOI that acquisition of land would take some time because one of the owners challenged in the Bombay high court the notification issued by the district administration.
"The court, while maintaining status quo, has asked the administration to file an affidavit," Jadhav said, adding that it can be done only after the court reopens after the summer vacation. "The next hearing is on June 28, but we might ask for an urgent hearing."
With the runway of the strategic air base being maintained by the Indian Air Force (IAF), officials were optimistic that the extension work could have been carried out simultaneously with the re-carpeting of the runway, which is scheduled to begin after the monsoon.
"With IAF flying operations to be suspended and civilian movement restricted during the re-carpeting, it would have been convenient to carry out the extension work simultaneously," an IAF official said.
Pune airport director Captain Deepak Shastri had earlier said the lengthening of the 8,300-foot runway was essential for larger aircraft to land and take off. "Currently, only short-wing civil aircraft operate from Lohegaon, but the plan is to lengthen the runway to 10,500 feet to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A340s and Boeing-747s."

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