The Maharashtra government has approved the first phase of redevelopment at Baramati airstrip at a cost of Rs 65 crore, with work covering runway upgrades, an air traffic control tower, emergency facilities, fire protection and surveillance infrastructure. The Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC), which manages the airstrip, will float a tender to appoint a consultant for the project.
MADC vice-chairman and managing director Deepak Kapoor said the first phase would include runway recarpeting, construction of runway safety areas, ground grading, a boundary wall, an ATC tower and a prefabricated technical block. The project will also include a fire station, an emergency room and a CCTV surveillance network.
The approval follows a series of aircraft accidents at the airstrip, including the January 28 crash of a Learjet that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and three others. The facility also recorded four aircraft accidents this year, according to the report. The latest incident cited by MADC occurred on August 9, when a Carver Aviation training aircraft veered off the runway.
The airstrip is primarily used for flight training by Carver Aviation and Redbird Flight Training Academy. The proposed redevelopment is therefore expected to affect both the physical condition of the facility and the way flight-training operations are supported on the ground. Kapoor said MADC would proceed with the project at speed after the consultant tender was floated.
A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau into the fatal Learjet crash had identified several shortcomings in the airfield’s infrastructure and safety arrangements. It found that the two ATC towers at the facility were operated and maintained by the respective flying training organisations, with students and instructors involved in operations.
The report also noted that the airstrip had no navigational aids apart from windsocks, restricting operations to visual flight rules. It recorded the absence of an in-house aircraft rescue and firefighting unit, while the runway had faded markings and loose gravel. The runway was last recarpeted in March 2016.
The airfield also lacked a complete boundary wall. Existing fencing was considered inadequate and did not cover the entire aerodrome. The approved works are expected to address several of these deficiencies through a combination of runway, perimeter, control and emergency-response upgrades.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced a series of measures for the airstrip in the state budget, including a night-landing facility. The proposed night-landing capability forms part of the state government’s broader development plans for Baramati airstrip, although the immediate first phase approved by the government focuses on core infrastructure and safety requirements.
The next formal step is the tender for appointing a project consultant. MADC is expected to float the tender on Friday, after which the redevelopment work will proceed through the project’s planning and implementation process.
