Pondicherry Airport
Pondicherry Airport | |||||||||||
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 New terminal | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | AAI | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Pondicherry | ||||||||||
| Location | Lawspet | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 41 m / 134 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 11°57′57″N 079°48′46″E / 11.96583°N 79.81278°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  PNY  PNY | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2016) | |||||||||||
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Pondicherry Airport (IATA: PNY, ICAO: VOPC) is an airport located at Lawspet in Pondicherry, a Union territory of India. It is situated 8.1 km from the international community of Auroville. The airport has charter flights and operations of the local flying training school. In 2007, the Pondicherry Government decided to expand the airport to accommodate larger aircraft and commissioned a new terminal building.[1] The new terminal was inaugurated on 18 January 2013 with the arrival of a SpiceJet flight from Bangalore.[2] Since August 2017 there are direct daily flights to Hyderabad with SpiceJet.[3]
History
The airport was constructed in 1989. Between that year and 1991, regional airline Vayudoot flew to Chennai, Neyveli and Bangalore, however the flights were not successful and all were ended. The airport remained in disuse for the following two decades.[4]
In June 2007, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the local government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expansion of the airport. For the first phase, 19.92 hectares of land were acquired at ₹ 18.95 crore. Then the new terminal was constructed and the runway extended by 260 m (853 ft), allowing for the landing of ATR aircraft. This phase was completed in late 2012. The second phase of expansion involves acquiring 200 more acres of land to extend the runway by an additional 1,100 m (3,609 ft), allowing larger jet aircraft to land at the airport.[5]
On 17 January 2013, SpiceJet began the first flights to the modernised airport from Bangalore. However, only one year later the service was cancelled because of poor passenger loads.[4][6]
On 14 April 2015, Alliance Air brought the airport back into operation with flights again from Bangalore, subsidised by the Pondicherry Government. Flights were suspended six months later due to "payment issues", and it is unknown when service will resume.[7]
Structure
Pondicherry Airport has one asphalt runway, oriented 07/25, 1500 m long and 30 m wide. It has a 100 by 150 m apron and its new terminal building can handle 300 passengers during peak hours. Navigational aids at Pondicherry include an Aerodrome beacon.[8] Currently land is being acquired to extend the runway and accommodate larger aircraft to increase flight services and open the airport for international flights.[9]
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Odisha | Chennai, Salem (begins 15 June 2018)[10] |
| SpiceJet | Bangalore, Hyderabad Charter: Chennai |
References
- ^ "Flight operations await new terminal". IBN Live. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
- ^ "First flight to Pondicherry from Bangalore on January 17". Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ "SpiceJet to operate daily flights between Hyderabad and Puducherry starting August 16 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ a b SpiceJet announces Pondy flight schedule. The New Indian Express. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Puducherry airport to go on stream in October". The Economic Times. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ Jaisankar, C. (31 January 2014). With last flight, Puducherry airport runs out of steam. The Hindu. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Puducherry's flight services suspended temporarily".
- ^ "Airport website". Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Efforts on to expand Puducherry airport runway: CM Narayanasamy". The Indian Express. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ "Air Odisha - Flight Schedule". 2 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
External links
Media related to Puducherry Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Template:WAD
- Airport information for PNY at Great Circle Mapper.
- Accident history for PNY at Aviation Safety Network
- Pondicherry Airport at the Airports Authority of India
