NT NETWORK
BENAULIM
Minister for Civil Aviation Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju Saturday said that the first phase of the Mopa Greenfield international airport will be operational by May 2020 while categorically ruling out the closure of the Dabolim airport.
Addressing a press conference at Benaulim, Raju said that the average passenger growth in the country is about 20 per cent, while the Dabolim airport in Goa has seen a growth of 30 per cent, which is 10 per cent above the national growth. “Hence, having two airports is a viable option for Goa,” he said.
Raju was in the state to attend ‘SKYREV360,’ an international workshop organised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with International Air Transport Association (IATA), under the central government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. Also present on the occasion were Civil Aviation secretary R N Choubey, AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra and Dabolim airport director B Negi.
The Union minister said that the Civil Aviation Ministry officials have had a meeting with the concessionaire of the Mopa airport, who have assured that the first phase will be completed by May 2020. He said that the first phase will have an additional capacity of 8 lakh passengers and the passengers will have a choice of being able to land either at Dabolim or at the Mopa airport. He said that if the trend of passenger growth continues for the next four years, the Dabolim airport will choke and hence there is a need for the Mopa airport.
Replying to a question on apprehensions over the possible closure of the Dabolim airport, Raju said that unlike airports at Bengaluru and Hyderabad where there was a provision in the bidding clause for closure of the old airport, there is no such clause in the bidding process in Goa.
He said that the Civil Aviation Ministry and the AAI will be investing over Rs 500 crore to make a taxi way and other improvements at the Dabolim airport to reduce the runway congestion. Raju said Goa is the only state, which will be able to boast of two functional airports and there is an opportunity for growth.