The airfield was established in 1939 as RAF Poona to provide air security to the city of Mumbai. The base was home to World War II squadrons of de Havilland Mosquito and Vickers Wellington bombers and Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. In May 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force took charge of the airfield. Air India commenced a route to Dubai, the airport's first international flight, in December 2005. Indian Airlines began service to Singapore the following day. In 2004–05, the airport handled about 165 passengers a day or around 60,000 passengers annually. It increased to 250 passengers a day in 2005–06. There was a sharp rise in 2006–07 when the number reached 4,309 passengers a day (1,500,000 a year) and more than 2.8 million passengers a year in 2010–2011 (about 8,000 passengers a day). In July 2008, Lufthansa's inaugural flight from Frankfurt arrived in Pune, linking the airport with Europe for the first time. The direct service was operated by PrivatAir and catered to the many automotive, biotechnology and other companies that had operations in the city. PrivatAir flew the route with a long-range version of an Airbus A319 that only had business-class seats; the Pune airport's short runway meant that Lufthansa could not use a larger jet with an economy-class cabin. PrivatAir also had to reduce the seating capacity so that the aircraft could carry enough fuel for the long-haul flight. A ? 100 crore airport modernisation plan was launched in preparation for the Commonwealth Youth Games hosted by Pune. In August 2008, AAI completed the construction of two new terminal extensions for international passenger departures and arrivals, measuring nearly 12,000 m2 (130,000 sq ft) on either side of the 6,500 m2 (70,000 sq ft) old main terminal building, which was inadequate for the increase in passengers and flight operations. The terminal extensions have helped ease the peak-time pressure of air passengers. Facilities developed on the air side include a new parallel taxi track and an apron expanded to accommodate eight Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 aircraft. In 2010, Lufthansa introduced economy class on the Frankfurt route; due to the recession, companies preferred to book economy-class tickets for their employees. Two aerobridges were commissioned in 2011. New conveyor belts and passenger facilities including a modern spa were also commissioned. An instrument landing system (ILS) has been proposed to ensure smooth takeoffs and landings even in deteriorated weather conditions. All the offices of the AAI and the Central Industrial Security Force will move to the new administrative block, creating more space in the terminal building. The building will also house a VIP lounge with independent access to the airport terminal building. The airport power sub-station near the entrance gate will also be shifted to the new building freeing up more space for developing passenger amenities. Lufthansa stopped flying to Frankfurt in June 2018, as it had suspended its wet-lease arrangement with PrivatAir. Five months later, Lufthansa resumed the link using its own plane. The flights made a technical stop in Baku. Afterward, the carrier reached a new agreement with PrivatAir whereby the latter would take over the route in February 2019. PrivatAir went bankrupt in December 2018, however. As a result, the last Lufthansa flight departed Pune in January 2019. The Airports Authority of India has invested ? 40 crore in 2018 for a brand new second terminal, which will be integrated into the existing one in order to ease air traffic. Construction began in late 2018 and was completed in March 2024. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 March 2024, and was opened on 14 July 2024. The airport has planned to begin international flights to European countries in mid-2026, with direct routes from Pune to Netherlands and Germany.