Pune: After being parked at Pune Airport's 'parking bay' for the past one and a half months, the damaged Air India aircraft was finally moved to a defense area on Thursday (June 27).

The relocation permission was granted within 24 hours after Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, met with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. This move will prevent delays for flights at Pune Airport, significantly easing air travel for Pune residents.

The presence of the damaged Air India aircraft in the parking bay was affecting the movement of other flights, as it rendered the parking bay unusable and disrupted flight schedules.

Due to the expected extended repair time for the aircraft, relocating it temporarily to a defense area was considered the best option. In this context, Minister Mohol discussed the matter with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

Mohol stated that after inspecting the parking bay with officials, the option to move the aircraft to a defense area emerged. Following this, he promptly sent a letter to Defense Minister Singh and also met with him. The relocation was executed within 24 hours, providing significant relief to air travelers from Pune.

The removal of the damaged Air India aircraft will help restore the disrupted flight schedules at the airport. The closure of one of the ten parking bays had a substantial impact.

Each parking bay typically handles the movement of 8 to 9 flights per day. The closure of one bay had increased the burden on the remaining nine, leading to schedule disruptions, explained Minister Mohol.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) authorities were supposed to inspect the affected aircraft, however they haven't found time yet for this task. As a result, unavailability of one parking bay was causing delays for minimum 8 flights daily at the Pune Airport.