There is a raging debate among stakeholders, citizens, and politicians as to whether the Dabolim airport would be closed for operations by ‘killing it softly.’ A cloud of suspense is hanging over the issue, and perhaps wagering must be underway if Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa would be the sole airport. Despite assurances from various authorities, the picture is still hazy, and no one is willing to hazard a guess.
Why not have both airports in operation? Flights from Dabolim could cater mainly to Southern and Eastern Indian States, some to Mumbai and Delhi, and to a few Middle-Eastern countries. MIA could be used mainly for North and Western Indian States, some flights to Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, etc., and to the other Middle-Eastern countries that are not covered from Dabolim.
MIA being a new airport with bigger and better infrastructure and operated by a private company would naturally try to obtain a bigger slice of the aviation cake than the Dabolim airport, which is under the care of the Airport Authority of India. Yet, if some give-and-take occurs between the two airport operators, then it would be beneficial to flyers and to those associated with the aviation industry.
