PANAJI
Tour operators from Goa had to face a very tricky situation recently when they participated in the 23rd International Trade Fair for Travel and Tourism Forum at OTDYKH 2017 in Moscow.
This is because when their Russian counterparts asked them about the unavailability of landing slots for charter flights at Dabolim Airport, Goan tour operators had no answer. The operators have now urged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to intervene and find a solution to the problem.
The crux of the matter is that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has not allotted adequate number of landing slots to charter flights at Dabolim Airport for the upcoming season.
These charter flights bring tourists in significant number from Russia, UK and CIS countries every year.
Without the charter flights, the number of foreign tourists arrivals will significantly come down in Goa.
Ernest Dias, chief operating officer, Sita Travels and TCI said, "At Moscow, the operators were asking us about landing slots for charter flights at Dabolim Airport. But, we had no answer. Without landing slots, these charter flights will pull out of Goa and the impact will be huge."
Dias added, "We are getting more than 100 bookings every day. But, the charter flights cannot land in Goa without landing slots."
Sources also revealed that the first charter flight from Russia is scheduled to land in Goa on September 30. It is not sure how the flight will land if it is not allotted a landing slot at the airport.
Joao Xavier (Bush) Miranda, managing director, Cicerone Air Transport Services, said, "We participated at the travel fair OTDYKH 2017 in Moscow. When Russian operators asked us about unavailability of landing slots for charter flights, we told them we will do our level best. We will even ask Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, to intervene in the matter urgently, as we are running out of time and operators are not getting slot at the point of departure."
Sources have also revealed that the authorities have taken a stance to encourage more domestic flights and curtail the number of charter flights at Dabolim Airport.
Earlier, charter flights would land at 8:30 am at Dabolim Airport and take off at 12:30 pm. This is because four hour duration between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm on Monday to Friday was restricted for civil aviation by the Navy at the airport.
However, it is learnt that this year charter flights are unlikely to get permission to land at 8:30 am and take off at 12:30 pm. Since domestic flights land at Dabolim Airport in huge number from afternoon onwards, charter flights will be left with no option but to land only in the late night hours.
