Sri Sathya Sai Airport

Sri Sathya Sai Airport (IATA: PUT, ICAO: VOPN) is located at Puttaparthi in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The airport is named after Sathya Sai Baba, a spiritual guru and philanthropist. It is a small airport with facilities for chartered flights rather than commercial aircraft. The airport was inaugurated in 1990 to serve the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences during emergency situations. The airport's 1000-metre-long airstrip and terminal building were constructed by L&T ECC. The runway was later extended to enable the operation of larger jet aircraft.[1]

Sri Sathya Sai Airport
Summary
Airport typePrivate
LocationPuttaparthi
Elevation AMSL1,558 ft / 475 m
Coordinates14°08′57″N 077°47′28″E
Map
PUT
PUT
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 7,315 2,230 Asphalt

History

The Sri Sathya Sai Airport was opened on November 24, 1990 to provide emergency air service to the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, as well as commercial service for visitors to Prasanthi Nilayam, Sathya Sai Baba's ashram located in the village.[1]

Until 2006, the Sri Sathya Sai Airport had scheduled flights to Mumbai and to Chennai airport operated by Indian Airlines. From 2006 to 2008, Indian Airlines operated flights to Puttaparthi as a stopover for their Hyderabad-Vishakhapatnam services.[2] Indian Airlines also offered flights to Bangalore thrice a week in 2005.[3][4] On 12 November 2005, the Indian low-cost carrier Air Deccan commenced operations from and to Hyderabad and Chennai twice a day.[5] Delhi-based charter airline Jagson Airlines also began to Puttaparthi from Chennai in 2007, before they ceased in 2008. After Air Deccan's integration with Kingfisher Airlines, the latter continued service to Puttaparthi from Bangalore and as a stopover on their Hyderabad-Vishakhapatnam services until 2008, when all scheduled flights to Puttaparthi ceased.[6] The airport continues to serve the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi for emergency purposes, and hosts dignitaries who visit the town.

Jaipur-based regional carrier Supreme Airlines was set to commence revenue service between Vijayawada and Puttaparthi twice daily in December 2018, but these plans were temporarily put on hold due to a pilot shortage and legal issues related to the Indian general election. As of April 2019, the airline still holds that these flights will commence once all legal issues have been cleared.[7][8][9]

References
  1. "Projects for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust" (PDF). Larsen and Toubro. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  2. "Travel to Prasanthi Nilayam". Sathyasai.org. 16 November 2002. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  3. "Sai Global Harmony - Began". Radiosai.org. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  4. "Air Deccan launches service to Puttaparthi". The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  5. "Air Deccan launches services to Puttaparthi". India Aviation. India Aviation. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  6. Ramanathan, S Kalyana (31 October 2007). "Sri Sathya Sai Baba's airport up for sale". Business Standard. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  7. "Flights between V'wada and Puttaparthi, Nagarjuna Sagar from July 10". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. "Andhra Pradesh". Supreme Airlines. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. "Nine-seat flights to Puttaparthi, Nagarjuna Sagar soon". The Hans India. Hyderabad Media House Limited. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

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