THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Goa's air connectivity has suffered steady erosion over the past year, with a growing number of airlines withdrawing from the State, suspending routes, or reducing flight frequencies on key domestic and international sectors.
The latest setback came this week when Oman Air ended its direct Muscat-Goa service and exited Manohar International Airport, Mopa -- further shrinking Goa's international aviation footprint.
The withdrawal of the Muscat route has added to a series of recent developments that have seen airlines increasingly bypass or scale down operations in Goa despite the State's continued reliance on tourism-driven air traffic.
Among the biggest losses has been Air India's decision not to restore its direct Goa (Mopa)-London Gatwick service. The carrier withdrew the route from its winter schedule after suspending operations in the aftermath of its Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash and subsequent fleet rationalisation. The move effectively removed Goa's only direct air link to London, despite intervention from the State government seeking its restoration.
While Air India initially operated its Goa-London service through Heathrow, the route was later shifted to Gatwick as part of network realignment. The airline subsequently suspended the service and later dropped plans for its restoration.
Other international routes have also disappeared. IndiGo withdrew its Abu Dhabi service from Goa, while SpiceJet ceased all operations from Dabolim airport. Air India Express, meanwhile, discontinued services to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
Domestic connectivity has also come under pressure.
As part of a broader network restructuring exercise, Air India recently reduced services on major Goa sectors, cutting 13 weekly frequencies on the Mumbai-Goa route and scaling down operations between Delhi and Mopa.
The airline also reduced frequencies to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad from both Dabolim and Mopa, while dropping the Kolkata-Mopa sector from its revised schedule.
In another setback, Air India has temporarily suspended its Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar-Goa service until the end of September.
Goa's links with the Gulf region have also faced repeated disruptions. During the recent West Asia conflict, Gulf Air cancelled services to and from Dabolim, while Air India Express suspended Goa-Dubai operations following aviation advisories affecting several Middle Eastern airspaces.
Air Arabia and other Gulf-bound services were similarly impacted by the regional instability.
Operational disruptions have further exposed the fragility of Goa's air network. Earlier this year, IndiGo cancelled 17 flights across the State's two airports due to operational constraints. In December last year, the airline cancelled 59 flights at Dabolim and Mopa in a single day during a nationwide disruption, stranding hundreds of passengers.
