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Existing flights at Dabolim won’t be allowed to shift to Mopa airport: Goa CM
Pramod Sawant was responding to a calling attention motion by south Goa legislators in the state assembly
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PANAJI: The Goa government will ask the Union civil aviation ministry not to allow existing international flights to Dabolim airport to shift their operations to the new Mopa airport, chief minister Pramod Sawant told the state assembly on Wednesday.
Sawant, who was responding to a calling attention motion by south Goa legislators across party lines, said the state cabinet has discussed the issue.
“We will specially write to the aviation minister to reiterate that no existing flight be shifted. The tourism minister has also written that under the open sky policy, new international flights should be given permission at Mopa but the existing flights should not be given permission to shift. I will personally intervene and convince them,” Sawant said.
The chief minister also assured lawmakers that civilian flights will continue from Dabolim. “We will not give Dabolim airport wholly to the Navy. 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,” Sawant added.
Earlier legislators pointed out that Air India recently shifted its London-Goa direct flight had shifted out from Dabolim to the new airport at Mopa, the first international flight to operate from the new airport.
“It is learnt that other International airlines flying to the Middle East are likely to follow suit. This move will have a significant impact on the tourism industry in south Goa, and has left the people wondering whether it is a precursor to the eventual closure of Dabolim Airport,” independent legislator Aleixo Lourenço said.
Legislators pointed out that flights to Dabolim have declined over the past one year.
Sawant reassured them Air India’s decision to shift its international operations from Dabolim Airport to Mopa won’t impact south Goa’s tourism industry. “The attraction of tourists to any region does not depend only on one parameter of being in the vicinity of the airport. The overall development of the tourism infrastructure in a region determines its touristic potential,” the chief minister said.
“Since the entire Goa state is likely to become an international tourist hub, there is a tremendous potential for growth of tourism in the entire state including the utility of both the airports in Goa,” he said.
According to the government, the new airport receives around 65 flights per day, which is marginally higher than the 55-60 flights Dabolim receives per day.
