PANAJI
In all probability, the commissioning of the Manohar International Airport at Mopa could bring in a huge respite to passengers from high fares. The airport will also double the current capacity of direct flights operating to and from Goa and link to new destinations.
“Since the connectivity will improve owing to the two airports, airfares are likely to drop. In the current scenario, the Indian Navy owns the Dabolim airport and there is a minimum of four hours of closure daily, because of which the air traffic is limited. The new airport will not only resolve this prevailing issue but also provide ample parking space,” a GMR official said.
The new airport is built on 2,132 acres, of which 232 acres are earmarked for the City Side Development for commercial purposes. The configuration of the airside facilities and terminal facilities is done based on traffic projections.
The Phase I of the airport will cater to 4.4 million passengers and after completion, the four phases of the airport will handle 13.1 million passengers, as per information shared by the government. The official said that Dabolim airport records 17 direct domestic flights whereas Mopa’s commissioning will bring another 17-20 new destinations and it will handle around 200 air traffic movements per day.
The new airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with much fanfare on December 11, is set to commence operations on January 5, 2023. “On the day the airport was inaugurated, we were ready for commissioning. It is for the airlines to start the process for operating from the new airport,” the official said, adding that IndiGo and GoFirst have announced 168 and 42 flights, respectively to and from Goa from Mopa.
The Passenger Terminal Building of the airport is being built on 67,726 sq metres comprising 18 check-in counters along with 4 Self Baggage Drops, an advanced baggage handling system, and other amenities and utilities, which could cater to 33 million passengers at its peak. The PTB is designed in a way that its central processor and pier can be expanded linearly towards east and west in a modular way.
The new Goa airport is the first airport to be built under the aegis of the New Civil Aviation Policy, 2016. GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) signed the Concession Agreement with the Government of Goa on November 8, 2016, for a period of 40 years from the appointed date, with an extension provision of 20 Years. The Foundation Stone of the airport was laid by PM Modi on November 13, 2016, and inaugurated six years later on December 11, 2022.
