Says Mopa and Dabolim airports will co-exist
PANAJI
The debate on the future or lack of it for civil operations at the Dabolim International Airport once the Mopa International Airport gets operational raged on with Union Minister of State in MoRTH and Civil Aviation Ministry, Gen V K Singh (Retd) insisting, albeit unconvincingly, that both the airports will continue in operation.
“The Central government has no intention to shut the Dabolim airport. I am here to clarify that the new airport will not lead to the closure of the previous airport,” Singh said on the sidelines of an event in the capital city.
“This is an unfounded perception, and we are very clear that both international airports will continue to operate in Goa. In 2010 there was a cabinet decision, and we have to abide by it. The decision was that if there were two airports, both would operate simultaneously. One airport is by AAI, and the other is by GMR,” Singh said.
The debate that operation of the Mopa airport will eventually lead to the shutting down of the one at Dabolim has been ongoing in the State for nearly two decades ever since the greenfield airport was being discussed in the early 2000s.
More recently, the debate got rekindled after Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho made a public statement that Dabolim will be shut down if it does not get competitive in its functioning and Mopa gets operational.
Opposition parties targeted the State government after Godinho’s assertion leading to the latter quickly changing his tune and forcing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to officially clarify that even after Mopa airport is operational, Dabolim will not be shut down.
Successive State governments have been insisting however that the Dabolim airport will not be permitted to be shut down in a bid to placate the hospitality industry and locals engaged in tourism business in South Goa who fear catastrophic impact on business if the airport in the district shuts down.
“None of the airports will be shut down. We will give more connectivity to the new Mopa airport. We will also grow Dabolim in connectivity. Additional traffic will be handled by Mopa. Do not get carried away by rumours and perceptions. Traffic management will be carried out in such a way that it will benefit both airports,” Singh, who is the minister of state in the Civil aviation ministry said.
“If Dabolim is connected to 20 cities, the next 20 cities that currently cannot be accommodated at Dabolim will go to Mopa,” Singh claimed even as he cited a 2010 Union cabinet decision that both airports will operate in parallel.
Singh said, while Dabolim will continue to be run by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Mopa will be operated by the concessionaire GMR.
Singh was in Goa to attend the CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) Asia Pacific Conference which was also attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal.
CM Pramod Sawant, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho also attended the conference.
