VASCO
Goa’s international charter tourist season kicked off on a positive note on Wednesday with the arrival of the first charter flight at Dabolim Airport. Operated by Aeroflot Airlines, the flight touched down at 7.15 am from Moscow, bringing 162 Russian visitors to the coastal State.
First charter arrival
A delegation led by Transport Minister and local MLA Mauvin Godinho, along with Dabolim Airport Director Flight Lieutenant Akash Deep and senior Tourism Department officials, was present on the tarmac to receive the arrivals. To mark the occasion, passengers were presented with bouquets and treated to live Goan music and folk dance performances. They were also invited to participate in a ceremonial cake-cutting. Addressing the media, Godinho said the arriving visitors were delighted by the hospitality. He expressed optimism for the months ahead, noting that around 224 foreign charter operations are scheduled during the October-April period. These flights are expected to bring around 45,000 international visitors to Goa, predominantly from Russia and Kazakhstan.
Godinho also addressed the ongoing debate over Goa’s aviation infrastructure, reiterating his opposition to shifting existing flight operations from Dabolim to Mopa Airport. He said transferring existing operations would affect the viability of both airports. “Following the opening of Mopa, official directives were issued on three separate occasions stipulating that flight operations at Dabolim should not be migrated,” Godinho said. He suggested that Mopa focus on securing new domestic and international connections rather than absorbing Dabolim’s existing traffic.
Dabolim to continue
Highlighting Dabolim’s continued appeal to domestic and international travellers, the Minister said passenger infrastructure at the terminal was being upgraded. He added that Dabolim generated Rs 137 crore in revenue this year and assured that the airport would continue to operate. Providing operational details, Airport Director Flight Lieutenant Akash Deep said Aeroflot would operate six weekly charter services connecting Moscow and Yekaterinburg with Goa. Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines is also scheduled to operate two weekly flights.
Charter traffic rise
Sheikh Ismail, Senior Vice-President of Concorde Exotic Voyage, provided further details on tourist projections. He said around 33,000 charter passengers arrived at Dabolim last season, with the figure expected to rise to 45,000 this year. He said charter aircraft have capacities ranging from 162 to 285 seats, adding that flights from Uzbekistan are also expected later in the season.
