Pune: State govt on Thursday approved the first phase of development work at Baramati airstrip at a cost of Rs 65 crore, paving the way for runway upgrades and improved safety infrastructure following the Jan 28 plane crash that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and three others.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced a series of measures for the airstrip in the state budget, including a night-landing facility. The airstrip is managed by Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC).Deepak Kapoor, MADC vice-chairman and managing director, said, “The first phase will include runway recarpeting, construction of runway safety areas, ground grading, boundary wall, air traffic control (ATC) tower and a prefabricated technical block. A fire station, emergency room and CCTV surveillance network will also be established.”Kapoor said MADC would float tenders on Friday to appoint a consultant to expedite the development work. “We shall go with speed now on the Baramati airport,” he said.The airstrip is primarily used for flight training by two flying training organisations (FTOs) — Carver Aviation and Redbird Flight Training Academy. It has witnessed several aircraft accidents over the years, including four crashes this year, including the crash involving a Learjet that killed Pawar and three others. The latest incident occurred on Aug 9, when a Carver Aviation training aircraft veered off the runway.The preliminary report of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the fatal Learjet crash flagged several shortcomings in the airfield’s infrastructure and safety arrangements.According to the report, the two ATC towers at the facility were operated and maintained by the respective FTOs, with their students and instructors involved in the operations. The airstrip had no navigational aids apart from windsocks, restricting operations to visual flight rules (VFR).The report also noted the absence of an in-house aircraft rescue and firefighting unit. The runway was last recarpeted in March 2016, leaving faded markings and loose gravel on its surface. Further, there was no boundary wall around the runway, while the existing fencing was inadequate and did not cover the entire aerodrome. The approved works are expected to address several of these deficiencies, with the proposed night-landing facility forming part of the state govt’s broader development plans for the airstrip, MADC sources said.
