Pune the Maharashtra government has indicated plans to undertake a comprehensive upgrade of Baramati airport following a recent aviation accident near the airstrip that raised serious concerns about safety oversight at smaller aviation facilities. The move signals a broader re-evaluation of how regional airports and training airfields are integrated into the state’s fast-expanding urban and economic landscape.
Senior state officials confirmed that the responsibility for upgrading the Baramati facility will rest with the state’s airport development agency, which took over the asset last year. The proposed intervention is expected to go beyond cosmetic improvements and address core infrastructure, including runway design, navigational systems and operational monitoring elements that urban planners say are essential as aviation activity increasingly intersects with growing towns and peri-urban regions. Baramati sits within a rapidly transforming belt of western Maharashtra, where industrial estates, educational hubs and agri-processing clusters are driving new mobility demands. Aviation experts point out that airstrips originally built for limited use are now seeing frequent charter movements and flight training operations, often without proportional upgrades in safety systems. This mismatch, they warn, creates systemic risk not only for pilots and passengers but also for communities living around such facilities.
Maharashtra has one of the largest networks of airports and airstrips in India, many of them categorised as uncontrolled, meaning they operate without full-time air traffic control or advanced landing aids. Urban infrastructure specialists argue that this model is increasingly unsustainable as cities expand outward and land-use intensity rises around legacy airfields. In the case of Baramati, the presence of a table-top runway adds another layer of complexity, requiring stricter operational safeguards. Industry observers also highlight the need for stronger regulatory scrutiny of flight training organisations and non-scheduled operators that rely on smaller airports. According to analysts, inspections conducted at long intervals are insufficient in a sector where aircraft utilisation and pilot workloads have risen sharply. Strengthening audit frequency, standardising training benchmarks and enforcing airworthiness norms are seen as critical to restoring confidence in regional aviation.
From an urban development perspective, the proposed Baramati airport development carries implications beyond aviation safety. Improved airport infrastructure can support balanced regional growth, reduce pressure on metro-centric transport systems and enable faster emergency response and business connectivity. However, planners caution that upgrades must align with climate-resilient design principles, noise management and land-use planning to avoid repeating past mistakes where infrastructure outpaced governance. State agencies are now expected to decide whether to commission a new detailed project report or revise existing plans prepared earlier. For residents and businesses in the region, the outcome will signal whether smaller cities like Baramati can integrate modern transport infrastructure without compromising safety, sustainability or public trust a challenge that many emerging urban centres across India now face.
