28 October,2025 05:35 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Pune Airport will now connect to 34 destinations across the country, reinforcing its position as a key aviation hub in western India. Pic/Special Arrangement by Archana Dahiwal
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Pune Airport has announced the commencement of the Winter Schedule 2025, effective from October 26, marking a major expansion in both domestic and international air connectivity.
Under the new schedule, Pune will be connected to two international destinations -- Bangkok and Dubai. Air India Express will operate daily flights to Bangkok, while IndiGo will fly on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights to Dubai will be available daily through both SpiceJet and IndiGo, further strengthening Pune's global reach for business and leisure travellers.
On the domestic front, Pune Airport will now connect to 34 destinations across the country, reinforcing its position as a key aviation hub in western India. The destinations include Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Vadodara, Bhopal, Bangalore, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Kochi, Dehradun, Delhi, Guwahati, Goa (Dabolim), Mopa, Hubbali, Rajkot, Hyderabad, Indore, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jalgaon, Kishangarh, Lucknow, Chennai, Nagpur, Nanded, Patna, Raipur, Sindhudurg, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.
Airlines are scheduled to operate 208 flights at Pune Airport during the Winter Schedule 2025, with the possibility of further increases depending on aircraft availability, route viability, and operational demand.
According to AAI officials, the expanded schedule reflects Pune's growing importance as a regional and international aviation centre. The airport continues to focus on enhancing passenger convenience, improving infrastructure, and promoting sustainable aviation growth in line with AAI's broader objectives.
Cargo operations record strong festive surge
Pune Airport has reported a sharp rise in air cargo movement ahead of the Diwali festive season, highlighting the city's growing role as a logistics hub in western India.
During September 2025, the airport handled 4,792.5 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo -- a 33 per cent increase compared with 3,612.2 MT handled in September 2024. For October 2025 (till October 26), cargo volumes reached 4,040 MT, almost matching the total 4,309.7 MT recorded during the entire October 2024, reflecting a 12 per cent year-on-year growth.
The growth was driven by higher movement in key sectors: automobile components (30 per cent), perishables (25 per cent), e-commerce shipments (20 per cent), postal and courier mail (3 per cent), and other goods (23 per cent).
"The steady growth in cargo handling reflects Pune's emergence as a key logistics hub in western India," an AAI official said. "Our focus remains on ensuring seamless cargo operations, efficient facilitation, and faster turnaround, especially during the festive season."
Officials attributed the rise in cargo movement to improved infrastructure, better coordination among airlines, freight forwarders, and regulatory agencies, along with growing industrial and e-commerce demand in the Pune region.
