Goa may lose second airport

New Delhi: If Goa doesn't make up its mind on a second airport fast enough, you may have to fly to Maharashtra and then drive to reach the state of famed beaches.
Maharashtra has submitted a proposal to build an airport in Sindhudurg, that's about 50 km from Goa. On the other hand, the proposal to build Goa's second airport at Mopa is embroiled in a bitter fight of business interests within the state. Now the aviation ministry is going to ask Goa for a final decision before deciding Maharashtra's proposal.
The existing Dabholim airport, a Naval base being used for civil flights, is in southern part of Goa while the proposed site for the second airport - a purely civilian one - is at Mopa in north Goa. So intense is the rivalry in business interests in these parts of the state that tourism industry in south Goa fears losing business if the civil airport is set up in north.
This factor, coupled with other local socio-economic factors, has stopped land acquisition. This indecision is happening at a time when Goa is experiencing a surge in tourism, thanks mainly to low-cost carriers but the current airport is proving to be totally inadequate. This despite the fact that the Navy has extended time for civil aircraft movement.
30/07/07 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jul 2007, New Jul 2007