MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that the Dabolim airport will continue to conduct civilian operations even after the commissioning of the new international airport at Mopa.
Sawant also said that the government has no plans of setting special zones for hotels, casinos with amusement pubs in the land acquired for the Greenfield International Airport at Mopa.
He said the construction of Mopa airport was nearing completion and was proposed to be inaugurated and commissioned next month.
“The government has no intention to close down the Dabolim airport. We have expanded the infrastructure at Dabolim airport not to shut it down. We also expect the tourist inflow to increase and therefore Goa will require both the airports,” Sawant said.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in its letter issued in 2010 has communicated the approval for continuation of civil operations at Dabolim Civil Aviation Enclave even after Mopa airport becomes operational,” he added.
The Chief Minister’s response came after Congress MLA Sankalp Amonkar expressed apprehensions over continuation of flight operations at the Dabolim airport and the consequent impact on the business of local taxi operators and other allied business activities in South Goa.
Sawant informed the House that so far flights from 18 countries landed at the Dabolim airport and many more countries have expressed intention to come to Goa.
“At the moment 70 flights land at the Dabolim airport every day. But due to restrictions no flights can land at the airport between 7.00 am to 2.00 pm. So for almost five hours no flights can land or takeoff from Dabolim enclave. There are many airlines waiting in the queue wanting to sign an agreement with the airport authority for landing in Goa. Since our State is a well-known tourism destination so many countries want a landing slot in the State,” he said.
He also informed that there was no parking facility available at the Dabolim airport.
“Once Mopa airport becomes operational around 150 flights are expected to touch Goa. All flights will not be able to land there. It was never the government’s intention to shut down Dabolim and will never be one,” the CM, assured the House.
Fatorda MLA, Vijai Sardesai informed that according to government estimates once commissioned, Mopa airport is expected to handle eight million tourists while after upgradation Dabolim airport was expected to handle 11 million tourists.
“Is the CM ready to assure the House that Goa will get almost 1.7 crore tourists in future? And if that many tourists don’t arrive, will that not force the government to shutdown the Dabolim airport? That is our real concern,” Sardesai pointed out.
Intervening in the discussion, Cuncolim MLA, Yuri Alemao informed that there were around 50 ghost airports in India and expressed the concern that Dabolim airport may also meet the same fate.
“I fear the Dabolim airport will turn into a ghost airport in three to four years and therefore there is a need to do a feasibility study on this aspect,” Alemao said.
Earlier, Mormugao MLA, Sankalp Amonkar said people of South Goa were concerned about their livelihood if the Dabolim airport was shut down in the near future and wanted the CM to make a categorical statement on the floor of the House.
