PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assurance to retain existing international flights at Dabolim airport could fall flat, and its impact will be evident from the upcoming tourist season starting October 2023.
A significant setback is the decision by TUI Airways, one of the world’s largest airlines, to shift all its charters bringing UK passengers to the new airport -- the Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa.
Another major airline, Moscow-based Aeroflot, also has plans to bring its charter flights to MIA. It's not about the charter flights only, even scheduled flights are opting for MIA over Dabolim.
The competition between the two airports has raised concerns not only among stakeholders operating around Dabolim airport but also among all South Goa legislators who also raised the matter during the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly.
Although Sawant has assured to write to the aviation ministry to prevent any existing flights from being shifted, recent developments indicate otherwise.
Ernest Dias, Chief Operating Officer of SITA Travels and a prominent businessman in the travel sector confirmed this news, stating that both TUI and Aeroflot will be operating from MIA in the ensuing tourist season.
As of last tourist season, TUI, with an Airbus capacity of over 500 seats, operated thrice a week while Aeroflot, with a capacity of over 200 had the same schedule, at Dabolim.
Charters from Russia and the UK have been bringing a huge number of tourists to Goa each season, contributing substantially to revenue for stakeholders.
There are also indications that charters from Kazakhstan might confirm operations to and from MIA by the end of the month, further adding to the concerns about Dabolim being sidelined.
Air India and IndiGo have already begun operations from MIA, while Oman Air and Qatar Airways are planning to join this decision. Air India, for example, has already started its direct international flight from MIA to London and back.
The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has allayed the apprehensions that shifting flights will harm tourism but has not clearly revealed the status of upcoming charter flights. TTAG President Nilesh Shah asserted that irrespective of Charters shifting from Dabolim to MIA, tourism will benefit from healthy competition between the two airports.
“It will be a healthy competition (between the two airports). We expect Charter movements to increase in the coming season and although domestic tourists have compensated for the loss of international tourists post-Covid-19, international tourists play a crucial role considering their longer duration of stay,” he said, indicating that better service attracts tourists.
Dabolim airport, which is already facing the heat after the commissioning of MIA, had maximum Go First flights but its bankruptcy and issues faced by SpiceJet led to a decline in flight frequency at this once-lone international airport in Goa.
Nevertheless, Shah expressed confidence that Dabolim’s flight capacity will improve as more flights will fill the void left by the recent changes.
During a calling attention motion moved by the South Goa legislators this week, Sawant had assured that civilian flights will continue from Dabolim and it will not be given to the Navy entirely.
“The operations there will be maintained. We will write to the defence ministry that the infrastructure which has been created there is important for Goa’s tourism,” he was quoted as saying.
