Jet Airways used to operate a flight service between Pune and Mumbai. However, after the airline shut shop in April 2019, no other airline provided the service. (Express photo) Three years after it wound up unceremoniously with the closure of Jet Airways in 2019, Pune Airport officials are working towards persuading airlines to restart direct air service between Pune and Mumbai.
As per officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), they have started talks with the airlines to get them on board to start the service. Officials said that they have started working in this regard as there is considerable demand for such a service. They are also in contact with the Mumbai International Airport to gauge a time slot for the service.
Jet Airways used to operate a flight service between Pune and Mumbai. However, after the airline shut shop in April 2019, no other airline provided the service. Soon, the pandemic started which disturbed the sector in an unprecedented manner. The air traffic from Pune Airport has now normalised with daily aircraft movements and passenger footfall breaking all-time records during the recently-concluded festive season.
Aviation expert Dhairyashil Vandekar said that such a service is a need of the hour but would require AAI to adopt an encouraging policy to make it financially viable for the airlines.
Vandekar said that a Pune-Mumbai (then Bombay) was the first flight connection that Pune got after the Lohegaon airport of the Indian Air Force was opened for civil use in 1960.
“Poona-Bombay was the first connection that was opened with Indian Airliene’s Avro 748 flying passengers between two cities. At that time, the flight became extremely popular because road transport was even more time-consuming and riskier than today. The travel used to take long hours, sometimes even an entire day. There were two flights — one in the morning and one in the evening — and industrialists preferred to use them,” said Vandkear.
As per Vandekar, such a service — when it was operational — received a good response, especially from high-yield passengers such as businessmen, corporate employees and politicians.
Vandekar said that road transport via the Pune-Mumbai Expressway is unpredictable and risky owing to multiple accidents and jams caused by natural incidents such as boulder falls and landslides.
“The travel via the expressway is worse on weekends and holidays. There are frequent accidents too. As these jams make travel tedious and time-consuming, starting a flight service between the two cities is a necessity,” said Vandekar.
He also said that a flight between Pune and Mumbai proves most convenient for those who have an onward air journey. “A significant number of people who travel to and from Pune and Mumbai, or vice versa, are people who want to travel to other destinations within or outside India for which there’s no direct connectivity from Pune. These people would always prefer to fly as it will be of great convenience for them.
“At present, these people are forced to travel during the night to catch flights from Mumbai or after arriving at the Mumbai airport to return to their homes in Pune. This is very risky but they are compelled to take that risk as there’s no option,” said Vandekar.
Vandekar said that until Jet Airways wound its operations in 2019, its Pune-Mumbai service was popular and was operated very successfully.
“They had timed it in such a way that it was providing a good connecting link for people with onward journeys. The flight was preferred by high profile and high yield passengers although the ticket rate was high. It was a successful service, popular, especially among foreigner and corporate travellers,” said Vandekar.