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Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
New ‘Meet & Greet' and porter services launched at Pune Airport
In a welcome move, the Pune Airport last week launched its 'meet and greet' and porter services, modelled on the lines of the traditional porter (coolie) service at Indian railway stations. These services are meant to assist travellers, especially senior citizens, women, persons with disabilities, and those carrying heavy luggage by providing manpower support from the airport entrance to security check-in for departing passengers and from the conveyor belt to taxi stands for those arriving in Pune. Often passengers have to struggle with multiple/heavy bags that cause stress, especially in the case of senior citizens, women, and persons with disabilities. (HT) Pune Airport director Santosh Dhoke said, 'Two special counters have been set up at the new terminal building for these services, where travellers can book assistance. Dedicated personnel will ensure that the luggage is handled safely and efficiently.' Often passengers have to struggle with multiple/heavy bags that cause stress, especially in the case of senior citizens, women, and persons with disabilities. These new services aim to reduce that burden/strain significantly. Under these services, passengers will no longer have to worry about carrying heavy bags across long distances within the airport premises, as per the information shared by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Pune. Akin to the coolie system at railway stations, passengers will now be able to hire help for a nominal fee to carry their luggage. The services include handling luggage from the airport entrance to the security check-in counter for departing passengers, and from the conveyor belt to tax stands for those arriving in Pune. The initiative is expected to make travel through Pune Airport more comfortable, accessible and hassle-free for all categories of passengers. Airport authorities have reported a positive response from travellers who have termed the move as 'thoughtful and much-needed'. Authorities have urged all passengers to make use of this convenient new facility. Vinaya Mandoli, a frequent flyer, said, 'I was genuinely surprised and pleased to see the new 'Meet and Greet' and porter services at Pune Airport. I had just returned from a long international flight with three heavy bags and was quite anxious about managing them alone. The porter assigned to me was very professional; he collected my luggage from the conveyor belt and accompanied me right up to my cab outside. It felt like a seamless and stress-free experience; something you don't always expect at Indian airports. As a senior citizen, this service made a big difference to me. I hope more airports across the country follow this example.'
Time of India
01-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Dogs on runway: Experts urge IAF, AAI and PMC to help secure Pune airport
Pune: Aviation experts have urged officials tasked with operations at the airport to put in place measures to stop stray animals from entering the runway area and triggering incidents like the one last Saturday, when an Air India Express jet had to abort a landing after dogs were seen on approach. The experts described the incident as serious and called for collaboration to address the problem, among the IAF, which manages air operations, PMC and Airports Authority of India. Feeding of strays should be controlled and sterilisation must be carried out in the area, they said. Saturday's incident was the second time in 5 months dogs on the runway had disrupted flight operations at Pune airport. "On Feb 13, a serious incident occurred during the take-off roll of Flight SG 2962 from Pune to Ahmedabad, when a dog was spotted on the runway," read a letter written by Pune Airport Director Santosh Dhoke to PMC at the time. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The letter added: "The aircraft made contact with the dog approximately 100 metres from the lineup point, forcing crew to reject the takeoff. The dog was found dead, and the aircraft returned to the bay for checks. While no significant damage to the aircraft was reported, passengers were deplaned, causing considerable inconvenience as they had to repeat check-in, security, and boarding processes." Dhoke confirmed the contents of the letter on Monday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "Yes, I wrote the letter requesting action. PMC conducted a dog sterilisation drive after that, but the problem has not been resolved," he told TOI. Dhoke didn't elaborate on risks posed by strays, but said that in Pune, AAI has no direct role in air operations. "The IAF is responsible for the entire air operation at Pune airport," he said. TOI tried to contact Air Commodore Satbir Singh Rai, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of Air Force Station Pune on Monday, but he could not be reached. A senior IAF officer from New Delhi said: "We have mechanisms to counter birds and dogs at each station (IAF monitored). But this issue is complex for us to resolve entirely on our end. These problems emerge due to external civic issues outside the campus of the station. The civic bodies and, to some extent, the airport officials need to work equally hard to control this problem. " The officer added IAF has trained personnel for bird threats. "When it comes to dogs, some IAF stations even dedicated dog squads. But the problem remains at certain locations," the officer said. Dhairyashil Vandekar, an aviation expert, said the string of recent animal intrusions at Lohegaon airport — a leopard in April to strays now — presented a worrisome situation for both AAI and IAF authorities. "The entire campus of Pune Air Force station is a compound. So how do strays enter operational areas of the airport? To prevent such problems, we need to have a plan in place for inside and outside the airport. We often see stray dogs outside the airport," Vandekar said. Sarika Funde, head of PMC's veterinary department, said dog catchers are sent to the Pune airport area every Saturday. "All authorities need to work towards securing the airport. We don't know how dogs enter the runway despite the Air Force station being secured by compound walls. Adequate measures need to be taken at the airport too to keep dogs away from the premises," Funde said.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bird strike detected after Air India aircraft from Delhi lands in Pune
Pune: A bird hit was detected on an Air India's Delhi-Pune flight after it landed in the city on Friday morning, prompting cancellation of the aircraft's return journey. The flight (AI-2469) — an Airbus A-320 — took off from Delhi at 5.24am instead of its scheduled time of 4.45am and landed at Pune airport with close to 100 flyers at 6.55am. Air India, grappling with multiple problems after the plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, confirmed the incident. A source in the airport said the right engine of the aircraft was hit. An Air India spokesperson told TOI, "Flight AI-2470, scheduled to operate from Pune to Delhi on June 20, has been cancelled because of a bird hit, detected after the incoming flight landed safely in Pune. The aircraft has been grounded to carry out extensive checks. Inconvenience caused to our passengers because of this unforeseen disruption is sincerely regretted and every effort is being made to minimise it, including providing accommodation to passengers. Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling are also being offered to guests who opt for it." The airline's spokesperson said, "Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to Delhi. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew remains our top priority." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The airline officials didn't disclose the extent of damage the aircraft encountered. "Apart from the official statement, we don't have anything more to say for now," another airline official said. A Delhi-bound flyer said he was at the airport when the Air India flight was suddenly cancelled. "It was supposed to take off at 7.40am and land in Delhi at 10am. I had an important meeting to attend in Delhi at 2pm. The airline cancelled the flight after suddenly stating that there was an operational issue, forcing me to take a last-minute flight of another airline to Delhi. I was initially angry, but was scared when I came to know about the bird strike incident," the Koregaon Park resident and a business executive with a company, said. Airport director Santosh Dhoke said, "We just got the information that the aircraft encountered a problem. Their (Air India) engineering department will look into details. We aren't allowed to go near the aircraft in such situations." A source in the airport said, "The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will conduct the investigation into the incident. They will look at all aspects, and are expected to talk to the pilots and the cabin crew." Captain Arpit Manshani, who flies both planes and choppers, said, "After a bird strike, the pilot in command is supposed to fill a 'bird strike form' and submit it to the internal safety department of the airline. They further report the incident to the DGCA. All these procedures are written in the operator's manuals. Depending on the severity of the strike, after landing, the engineering team does their checks as per their manuals and releases the aircraft again for service. "
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
AI-enabled CCTV cameras to curb illegal parking on roads leading to airport
Pune: The airport authorities, in coordination with the Pune traffic police and the AeroMall officials, will install AI-enabled CCTV cameras on the New Airport Road and the VIP Road (Symbiosis College Road) within a couple of months to monitor and penalise illegally parked vehicles. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke told TOI that a feasibility study was under way. "It will take some more time, after which the final report will be ready. We had initial talks about the project with an agency. Based on the final report, these cameras — recently installed on FC Road — will be put up here too," he said. Y S Rajput, the vice-president of AeroMall, told TOI, "The agency recently gave a presentation on the functioning of the cameras, and we hope to get these soon. During the late evening hours, both these roads are clogged most of the time. Private cars and cabs are parked on either side. There have been many complaints about the same." Airport officials said a total of 3-4 such cameras could be installed by the end of August. "Both these roads are important for access to the airport. Illegal parking on these roads has been a problem for a long time. It is mainly done in the late evening and night hours, when police personnel are not present," another airport official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "The modern cameras equipped with digital screens can automatically detect any vehicles parked wrongly. Once a vehicle is tracked, its registration number will flash on the screen. Around a minute will be given to the vehicle owner to remove it, failing which an online challan will generate automatically without zero human interference, ruling out chances of arguments," another airport official said. Vimannagar's frequent flier Sushil Pandey said during the rains, the situation becomes tougher. "These roads are narrow and illegally parked vehicles cause a major problem. It took me almost an hour to go from the AeroMall to the Wiekfield Chowk, a distance of around 300 to 400 metres, earlier this month because it was raining and vehicles, mainly cabs, were parked on both sides of the road. Cab drivers enter the AeroMall only when they get a long trip," the IT professional said. Prashik Ojha, another frequent flyer, said, "Owners of even costly cars don't want to spend money on parking at the AeroMall or at another private parking lot on the VIP Road, right before the AeroMall. I have seen the police taking action against these in the daytime, but it is a free-for-all type of situation at night. Even autorickshaws are parked anywhere in front of the airport, hindering vehicles' movement," the working professional said. TOI reported earlier this month that the airport authorities were planning to introduce a time-bound entry system at the facility to curb congestion. The airport director said they were planning a system under which any private vehicle found parked in the circulating area of the terminal building would be fined Rs500. "We are conducting a detailed study on the system at present, after which it will be sent to the headquarters for approval," Dhoke said.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
Two flights out of Pune affected after Ahmedabad crash
Pune: Two flights from Pune to Ahmedabad were affected on Thursday after closure of the Ahmedabad airport following the plane crash. An IndiGo flight slotted for take off at 3.50pm from Pune couldn't fly on time. According to the airline website, the flight was supposed to later take off at 8.45pm. An Akasa Air flight, which was supposed to take off to Ahmedabad at 5.55pm, flew only at 6.50pm. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said there were no cancellations or diversions of any flights following the incident. There are five flights between Pune and Ahmedabad. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
