Goa airport contract to Chinese firm cancelled

New Delhi: A Chinese connection may mean that passengers flying in and out of Goa’s tiny Dabolim airport may have to wait longer for a world-class terminal.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) first awarded the Rs 320-crore contract for building the integrated international-cumdomestic airport to an Indian company that had tied up with a Chinese firm to show the experience to bag this prestigious contract.
However, as per government unstated policy, work on sensitive sites should not be awarded to a Chinese company. The Dabolim airport is a naval airfield whose civil enclave is used by passengers to fly in and out of Goa. Given the sensitivity of this defence site, the AAI realised this ‘oversight’ , it recalled the contract and is going to start the process afresh.
On its part, the navy is learnt to be in favour of Dabolim’s expansion. The existing Dabolim passenger terminal is unable to meet the traffic growth that Goa has witnessed over the past few years and on holidays the security check queue for passengers flying out begins near the arrival area itself. The issue of Goa’s new airport has been caught in a massive political crossfire.
Interestingly, the Chinese connection is also learnt to have come to light when local Congress MP Francisco Sardinha raised the issue with the AAI.
24/11/09 Economic Times

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Categories: Airports Nov 2009, New Nov 2009