Pune airport’s international flyers and connections drop, immediate revival unlikely

Pune: After recording a 35% rise in international passenger traffic in the 2025-26 financial year compared to the previous fiscal, the city airport is now bracing for a slowdown. The ongoing West Asia crisis and rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices are expected to significantly impact international travel from the city.The effects are already visible, with the number of direct international flights dropping to three from six earlier. Airport director Santosh Dhoke acknowledged the situation, noting that while operations at Dubai were gradually normalising, airlines such as IndiGo and Air India Express were yet to resume services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Currently, only SpiceJet's Dubai flight remains operational."The airport has sufficient slots to accommodate more international flights and discussions with airlines are ongoing. However, the final decision rests with the carriers, who are closely assessing the geopolitical and economic environment before committing to routes. We are hopeful the situation will improve and more international flights will return," he said.In 2025-26, Pune airport handled 3.39 lakh international passengers, up from 2.52 lakh the previous year – a growth far higher than domestic traffic, which rose by about 4.5%. Until last year, Pune had six international routes: two to Dubai, and one each to Abu Dhabi, Singapore and two to Bangkok. However, Air India suspended its Singapore flight in June 2025, while IndiGo and Air India Express halted services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi more recently due to the West Asia conflict.With Air India Express and IndiGo not answering when they planned to resume the flights, airport officials remained cautious. SpiceJet's Dubai service, once consistently full, has also been affected, including a cancellation on May 4 following airspace disruptions in the UAE. Officials said passenger demand has weakened, and airlines are waiting for stability before restoring routes. "Rising ATF prices have further strained operations, forcing airlines to cut capacity. Air India, for instance, has already announced the reduction of around 100 domestic and international flights until July," another official told TOI.Officials added that under the current summer schedule, the likelihood of new international routes is minimal. Airlines are unlikely to expand unless fuel prices stabilise and geopolitical tensions ease for a sustained period. Industry bodies such as the Federation of Indian Airlines have also warned of severe financial stress due to high ATF costs, making expansion plans unlikely in the near term.However, aviation expert Dhairyashil Vandekar argued that external factors alone did not explain Pune's limited international connectivity."The underlying constraint in Pune airport has consistently been infrastructure and operational limitations. The airport functions from a single runway with defence priorities, constrained watch hours, aircraft parking and remote bays and terminal capacity that has only recently begun to expand. Critically, the airside geometry, apron space and operational windows have not been optimised for sustained wide-body or long-haul international operations. A more proactive, time-bound approach to capacity augmentation, regulatory coordination and airline engagement could have materially improved outcomes," he told TOI.