PANAJI
In a major setback for Goan emigrants and British tourists, Air India has excluded Goa from its Winter 2025-26 schedule, despite initially announcing plans to resume direct flights from Mopa to London (Gatwick) from October 26.
In the latest development, while Air India has announced resumption of flights from Gatwick to Amritsar and Ahmedabad, bookings for the Goa–Gatwick sector have been withdrawn, confirming the route will not operate this season.
Air India, currently facing a shortage of aircraft, was expected to operate three flights per week from October 26 from Manohar International Airport, Mopa -- the operations which have been stalled since June. In fact, the airlines had last month reopened bookings for Goa using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for operations on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
While cities like Amritsar and Ahmedabad see strong demand from visiting friends and relatives, Goa’s seasonal, leisure-driven traffic has proven harder to sustain.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanavade had earlier urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to reinstate the suspended direct flight, highlighting its importance for Goans traveling to the UK, particularly for employment.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had also got in touch with Air India which had assured that the direct flights from Mopa to Gatwick would be restored by September-end.
The direct flights, which had commenced in July 2023, had been suspended in June 2025, following the Ahmedabad plane crash.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, meanwhile, slammed the State government over the latest development wherein he claimed that the decision will hamper tourism.
“Goa government’s claim that two airports would boost tourism and economy is crumbling as airlines drop Goa from their network lists, favouring other States instead,” Alemao said.
He said with this, the tourism picture will be murkier and shaky. “Govt has filed in its policies to track tourists in the State with focus only on borrowings and not generating revenue,” he said.
