Baramati airfield will receive a Rs 65-crore infrastructure upgrade after the Maharashtra government approved the first phase of development, with runway repairs, a runway safety area and a new air traffic control tower planned at the facility.
The approval comes nine months after a Learjet 45 crash at the airfield killed then Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The January 28, 2026, accident was followed by heightened scrutiny of the airfield’s safety infrastructure and operating conditions.
Deepak Kapoor, vice-chairman and managing director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation, said the government had approved Phase 1 of the development work. The proposed works include recarpeting the existing runway, constructing a runway safety area, grading the area, building a compound wall and establishing an ATC tower.
The package will also include a prefabricated technical block, a fire station, an emergency room and CCTV surveillance systems, Kapoor said in a post on X. MADC will begin the process of appointing a consultant, with bids for the consultancy expected to be invited from October 31.
The upgrade follows findings and concerns about the airfield’s existing facilities. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on the Baramati crash noted that the airfield did not have a meteorological facility and that its uncontrolled operations were supported by no navigational aids beyond wind socks. The inspection also raised concerns about the condition of the runway.
The last runway recarpeting was carried out in March 2016. The report noted faded runway markings and loose gravel on the runway surface after the absence of subsequent recarpeting. Two further accidents involving trainee aircraft were reported in May and August 2026. In the latest incident, a trainee aircraft operated by Carver Aviation Academy skidded off the runway while taxiing on August 9.
Aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar said the approval was an important step towards strengthening the airfield’s safety infrastructure, but cautioned that an ATC tower alone would not convert the uncontrolled facility into a controlled aerodrome. He said qualified and authorised personnel, approved operating procedures, reliable communications, suitable airspace arrangements and regulatory approvals would also be required.
Vandekar also identified runway and approach lighting, Precision Approach Path Indicator systems and an Automatic Weather Observing System as possible requirements, subject to applicable regulations. He said a Detailed Project Report should examine the technical and operational feasibility of introducing Instrument Flight Rules operations at Baramati.
Baramati is one of 15 domestic unlicensed airports in Maharashtra listed by MADC. The airfield is owned by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and has a single asphalt runway measuring 7,710 feet, or 2,350 metres. Established in the 1990s, it mainly handles charter flights and currently accommodates two flight training organisations: Academy of Carver Aviation Private Limited and Redbird Flight Training Academy.
Airfield manager Shivaji Taware said the facility handled around six to seven charter flights each month, most involving politicians. The airfield was leased in 2009 to step-down subsidiaries of Reliance Infrastructure Limited for development, but MIDC took back possession in 2025, citing a lack of development and flight operations.
The next formal step is the appointment of a consultant to expedite the Phase 1 works. MADC and the Maharashtra government will also need to coordinate with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on the applicable licensing, registration, authorisation and safety-compliance requirements for the facility.
