In October 2016, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared Purandar tehsil in Pune as the site for a new international airport. The government gave permission to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed airport. The AAI has approved the site.

The airport reportedly requires at least 2,400 hectares of land, which will affect 1,660 families. The residents of seven affected villages - Rajewadi, Amble, Waghapur, Pargaon Memane, Khanawadi, Munjawadi and Ikhatpur - have passed resolutions that they would not give away their land for the project. In November 2016, soon after the airport site was shifted to Purandar, the village residents attempted to block the survey for land in the area. A month later, they came together to form the Vimantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samarthak Sanghatan to officially oppose the project.

On 26 December 2016, thousands of affected people in Purandar blocked the Pune-Pandharpur Road for nearly two hours. They claimed that farming was their main source of livelihood and that no amount of compensation could make up for that loss. The womenfolk also [threatened ](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/purandar-farmers-firm-on-stand-wont-give-up-irrigated-land-pune-airport-rehabilitation-3081398/#:~:text=Dipali Hole%2C another member%2C also,due to the upcoming airport.)to go on a fast, stating that the airport would affect their livelihood and the future of their children.

Asha Nimbalkar, sarpanch (head of panchayat) of one village, [said](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/purandar-farmers-firm-on-stand-wont-give-up-irrigated-land-pune-airport-rehabilitation-3081398/#:~:text=Dipali Hole%2C another member%2C also,due to the upcoming airport.) that it was only recently that women in the villages have started farming and their land has seen any vegetation, so they do not want it to be taken away.

Initially, Rajgurunagar in Chakan town was finalised as the site for the international airport. But due to opposition from farmers and the mountainous terrain, the government decided to set up the new airport in Purandar as it was a flatter region. Although Lohegaon air force station serves as an international airport in Pune city, only two to four international flights can operate from the airport. Moreover, it is an Air Force base and has a single civilian terminal, which operates both international as well as domestic traffic.

In 2018, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited was declared the special planning authority to take the project forward.

In August 2019, 1,555 affected people from the seven villages submitted their objection against the land acquisition to the Pune district administration. However, in December that year, the administration appointed seven deputy collectors to oversee the land acquisition process in each of the seven villages. The officers were tasked with talking to the affected people and resolving their issues so that the process could be completed within a year. The district administration had suggested to the Maharashtra government to make the villagers stakeholders in the project through a land pooling scheme, on which the state is yet to respond.

In September 2020, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asked the Pune district administration to check the feasibility of developing the project at an alternate site. The decision came after MLA Sanjay Jagtap from the Purandar constituency proposed to shift the project due to mass opposition to the land acquisition.

On 2 May 2025, the survey team came to the proposed site in Purandhar to conduct a drone survey. However, the villagers blocked the survey team, broke the drones and locked the team in their cars. The police subsequently filed an FIR against some villagers for blocking the survey.

On 3 May 2025, a large police team accompanied the survey team which led to violent clashes with the police. The protestors had blocked the pathway to the site with a bullock cart. After forceful attempt of police to proceed, the protestors turned aggressive. Due to the increased commotion, the bullock started attacking people around injuring some women protestors. This further escalated to tensions leading to stone pelting by protestors on police personnel injuring 25 police officers. The police subsequently filed two more FIRs against 150 persons on criminal attempts to attack police and government personnel (BNS 132) and another FIR on the driver of bullock cart of attempt to murder (BNS 109). Later the police arrested five people in the same matter.

Due to the escalation of protests, the revenue minister of Maharashtra, Chandrashekhar Bawankule halted the survey and offered the farmers to talks regarding a better package in compensation. In response, many farmers denied talking about any package and demanded the project site to be shifted.