Newly appointed Goa Airport director Lt Akash Deep on Wednesday morning said he plans to make efforts to bring back international flights that had shifted operations from Dabolim to Manohar International Airport at Mopa.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Deep said it was good that there was a sense of completion now that Goa has two functioning airports catering to passengers.
“We will rise to the occasion, and being in the government sector, we have our own ways while they have theirs,” said Deep. “Let the best qualities of both airports be available to passengers because, in the end, it is the traveller who benefits from better services and options.”
He said that while incentives had already been extended to international airlines such as Qatar Airways, Air Arabia and other flight operators that had shifted their bases to Mopa, he intends to personally reach out to them in the coming days.
“I have something in mind for these airlines, but it’s too early for me to commit anything because I am new and want to first understand the ground reality,” Deep said.
Highlighting Dabolim’s advantages, Deep noted that its geographical location offers an edge for flight operations and passenger convenience. “In fact, Dabolim has a better geographical position that gives it a natural advantage for flight operations,” he said. “We are confident that with more facilities coming up at Dabolim, these international flights that moved to Mopa will once again find it attractive to operate from here. I plan to reach out to the operators and work out a plan to step in efforts to bring them back to Dabolim.”
