Charters up, but will they all land?

Panaji: Around 827 charters have booked landing slots at Dabolim airport for the coming tourist season, but rooms to accommodate as many passengers have not been booked.
While the figure of 827 flights beats last season's number of 758 charters, the tourism industry is being cautious and says this is a projected figure that need not necessarily translate into landings.
Subhash Phegade of Aircon Aviation Services and station manager of Monarch Airlines said that the bookings were tentative. "They have asked for slots. However, bookings this year are not even 50% of last year's. An airline could book four landing slots per week. If there is a fall in bookings, they transfer the passengers and cancel slots."
Tourism players say bookings for landing slots are done in bulk prior to the season. "September is the time to make payments. That's when we will see the real figures. Right now it's time to submit applications," said Ralph de Sousa, president Travel and Tourism Association of Goa.
This was echoed by Alu Gomes Pereira, COO, Thomas Cook Charters and TCI-Thomas Cook Charters.
21/08/08 Andrew Pereira/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Aug 2008, Foreign Aug 2008