Mumbai: Purandar Greenfield Airport Project Gains Momentum as MADC Invites Tenders for Master Plan
Mumbai, 26th October 2026: The long-awaited Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Greenfield International Airport project in Purandar has moved forward, with the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) inviting tenders for a techno-economic feasibility study and the preparation of a master plan. The process will also support contractor selection and assess the airport’s long-term infrastructure and operational requirements.
The appointed consultant will conduct engineering studies, prepare the master plan and obtain statutory approvals in the first phase. The study will also assess airspace compatibility to ensure that the proposed airport does not conflict with Indian Air Force operations or existing civil aviation routes. Obstacle limitation surface mapping will be undertaken as part of this assessment.
The planning exercise will forecast passenger traffic, cargo volumes and aircraft movements at five-year intervals, beginning in the financial year 2028-29 and extending up to 2070-71. The proposed infrastructure plans will include parallel wide-body runways, passenger terminals, cargo facilities, aircraft maintenance hangars, commercial zones and dedicated ground access routes.
The second phase, scheduled to span three months, will involve drafting the project information memorandum, concession agreement and other formal documents required for the project.
MADC has also stipulated that the selected contractor must organise global roadshows at a minimum of four international locations to promote the public-private partnership (PPP) concession among international airport developers and operators.
The proposed airport is expected to address the long-standing operational constraints at Pune’s existing Lohegaon Airport, which is owned and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and shares its infrastructure with an Indian Air Force airbase. The arrangement restricts civil aviation operations and limits the scope for future expansion.
With annual passenger demand estimated to be approaching one crore, Lohegaon Airport faces space constraints affecting aircraft parking, terminal handling capacity and passenger movement. The existing runway also cannot be easily extended to accommodate larger wide-body aircraft or meet anticipated growth in regional air connectivity.
Pune’s expanding industrial, educational and information technology sectors have further increased the need for additional aviation infrastructure. Since the existing airport cannot be expanded sufficiently to meet the city’s projected requirements, the state government has acquired approximately 1,250 hectares of land across seven villages near Saswad for the proposed Purandar airport.
The villages identified for land acquisition are Ektapur, Khanwadi, Kumbharvalan, Munjawadi, Pargaon, Udachiwadi and Vanpuri.
The latest tendering process marks a step towards detailed planning and the development framework for the proposed airport, which is expected to strengthen Pune’s long-term aviation capacity.
