NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that the proposed International Greenfield Mopa Airport would become a significant contributor to the state economy, and is expected to account for 20 per cent of the state GDP by 2020, chairman (airports), GMR Airports Ltd, Srinivas Bommidala, on Tuesday, said that the round-the-clock operation of the airport would not only boost the state tourism but also help Goa recapture its export cargo market that has been lost to Mumbai.
“The airport will also boost state revenues from customs duty, and fuel-related cess, which can also be used for social development project,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion of signing of the Concession Agreement between the government of Goa and GMR Airports Ltd, for the development and operations of the Mopa Airport, Bommidala said that all the city airports have today become economic engines.
“Some 10-15 years ago, there used to be a concept of city airports, but today we have airport cities, with most of the cities being generated and created around wherever airports exists,” he said, when asked about the 381 acres of land earmarked for city side development, linked to the particular airport.
Stating that the GMR Airports Ltd has never lost an airport-related bid, and the Mopa Airport bid is the sixth such bid it has won, Bommidala said that even though Goa has been witnessing unprecedented tourist growth over past 3-4 years and crossed 5 million tourist mark, the group believes that Goa harbours significantly a higher potential in having a dedicated 24-hour operation civilian airport, so as to unlock the latent tourism potential of the state.
Observing that winning the Mopa airport bid is a significant milestone for the GMR Group, Bommidala said that the proposed airport would be creating new landmarks in terms of performance.
“The GMR Group would wait and watch the viability of two airports in Goa, as it had responded to the Mopa Airport bid on the basis of tourist traffic trying to grow in Goa, and once the traffic grows, the viability would not be an issue,” he said, observing that there are two airports in many states around the world, and with many constraints existing at the Dabolim airport, all the new traffic, the new growth would arrive at the Mopa airport.
He also praised the bidding process followed for the Mopa airport, stating that other states should emulate such bidding process, and that the GMR Airports Ltd would be encouraging the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other states to follow this Goa model of bidding.
Maintaining that vocational training has been the key focus area of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts of the GMR Airports Ltd, Bommidala said that the group is in the advance stages of tying up with the local Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to set up training centres, which will provide vocational training to 200 individuals, per year.
“In addition, the GMR Group has also decided to donate 100 computers to the schools in Goa, with the intent of increasing digital penetration in the state,” he concluded.