Sri Sathya Sai Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Location | Puttaparthi | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,558 ft / 475 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 14°08′57″N077°47′28″E / 14.14917°N 77.79111°E /14.14917; 77.79111 | ||||||||||
| Website | www.aai.aero/ | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
.svg)  PUT  PUT | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Sri Sathya Sai Airport (IATA:PUT,ICAO:VOPN) is located atPuttaparthi in thestate ofAndhra Pradesh,India. The airport is named afterSathya 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 theSri 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]
The Sri Sathya Sai Airport was opened on 24 November 1990 to provide emergency air service to theSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, as well as commercial service for visitors toPrasanthi Nilayam, Sathya Sai Baba's ashram located in the village.[1]
Until 2006, the Sri Sathya Sai Airport had scheduled flights toMumbai and toChennai airport operated byIndian 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 carrierAir Deccan commenced operations from and to Hyderabad and Chennai twice a day.[5] Delhi-based charter airlineJagson Airlines also began service to Puttaparthi from Chennai in 2007, before they ceased in 2008. Kingfisher Airlines served Puttaparthi from Hyderabad and Bangalore from 2007 until 2008, when all scheduled flights to Puttaparthi ceased.[6][7] The airport continues to serve theSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi for emergency purposes, and hosts dignitaries who visit Prashanti Nilayam and the surrounding area.[8]
Media related toSri Sathya Sai Airport at Wikimedia Commons