The development of the proposed greenfield international airport project near Pune seem to have picked up pace.

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation plans to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study and topographic survey of the proposed international airport site located around 50 kilometres north of Pune along National Highway-50.

The civil aviation ministry and Maharashtra have been planning an international airport near Pune for almost 10 years now. Developments, however, have picked up pace following heavy restrictions on civilian operations being imposed at the present Pune airport by the Indian air Force, which governs the runway.

The site at Shiroli and Chandoos villages is located between Chakan and Rajgurunagar towns along Pune-Nashik highway. The MIDC has appointed Industrial Leasing and Financial Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd as project advisors for this single-strip greenfield international airport.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel had held a meeting with state government last month and had asked the government to initiate the process of land acquisition for the airport project. The airport is expected to come up on 3,000 acres.

In the wake of these developments, the MIDC has invited expressions of interest from private consultants who want to join the airport project and share their expertise with MIDC and development partners.

"The TFES includes assessment of connectivity, conceptual layout of the facilities at the airport, preliminary design of airport components, planning, designing criteria and performance standards. The study would also have a say on aviation sector assessment, project impact assessment and assessment of traffic demand," a MIDC offier told Business Standard. The study would also give cost estimates, financial analysis and prepare a development plan, the officer added.

The topographic survey would be conducted for the finalisation of runway alignment. "The IAF had objected to the runway alignment of an old airport site due to security reasons. The topographic survey would suggest runway alignments that would be safe and non-objectionable," the officer added.

The airport site would see construction from year 2011 onwards, if the land acquisition happens within a year.