Pune Airport has inaugurated the Udaan Yatri Café, a low-cost food kiosk offering tea for just ₹10 and snacks like vada pav and samosas for ₹20.
The initiative, launched under the Udaan scheme, is part of a broader governmental push to democratise flying and improve passenger experience, particularly for cost-conscious travellers. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, announced the café’s opening earlier this week during a high-level meeting at Pune Airport. With sky-high food prices often drawing criticism from flyers, the café offers a welcome change, promising hygienic, accessible options without burdening passengers financially. The idea is simple yet impactful: bring dignity and affordability to the flying experience, aligning with the ethos of inclusive infrastructure development.
The Udaan Yatri Café has already made its presence felt in airports at Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad, and the ministry now plans to extend the concept to Mumbai Airport. By scaling up across metros, the scheme seeks to set a national precedent for equitable airport services. The café’s launch coincides with the airport’s broader modernisation and expansion efforts. Pune Airport, which currently handles nearly 200 flights daily and nine million passengers annually, is scaling up both capacity and amenities. A newly constructed 52,000 square metre terminal features 34 additional check-in counters and 25 Digi Yatra kiosks to streamline passenger movement. The old terminal is also undergoing redevelopment, with an eye on increasing annual capacity by another 1–1.5 million passengers.
Mohol confirmed that the airport is witnessing double-digit growth, with cargo movement up 8.45% and passenger footfall rising by 10.66% year-on-year. New flight routes have been launched connecting Pune to Trivandrum, Indore, Bhopal, Chennai and Dehradun—underlining the airport’s expanding regional importance. To support this exponential growth, over 200 acres have been earmarked for future development, including a runway extension to accommodate larger aircraft and more frequent flights. In parallel, work is underway to enhance last-mile connectivity. Plans to integrate Pune Airport with the city’s expanding metro network have gained traction. The proposed Khadakwasla–Kharadi corridor, alongside three other metro lines, will eventually provide seamless public transit access to the airport—essential for a district whose population has surpassed ten million.
In the context of India’s vision for net-zero emissions and sustainable urbanisation, initiatives like the Udaan Yatri Café represent more than just symbolic gestures. They offer a tangible model for socially equitable, environmentally conscious, and economically viable urban infrastructure. As cities like Pune evolve into next-generation urban hubs, such measures reflect a clear shift towards public-centric planning, ensuring that affordability and accessibility remain central to infrastructure development. In that sense, a ₹10 cup of tea is more than just a beverage—it’s a statement of inclusive progress.
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