Goa's airport plan in trouble

New Delhi: Goa may be one of the biggest tourist spots in India but it can’t have two operational airports and find their operations viable.
Following a long debate over the proposed new airport in the north at Mopa and the existing one at Dabholim, the state had recently asked the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to examine if these two could be used together. Now the Montreal-based global agency has submitted its report to the state, clearly saying that this will not be financially viable.
‘‘Currently Dabholim handles 2.2 passengers annually. According to ICAO estimates, this figure will rise to 4 million and 6 million by 2014 and 2022, respectively. A totally private airport will require a threshold limit of 12 million departing passengers and 24 million total traffic,’’ says the report. So even with a high traffic growth projection, the $325-million Mopa airport may not be financially viable if it is fully funded by a private player.
22/10/07 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Oct 2007, New Oct 2007