Dabolim airport will remain open for civilian use even after the proposed international aerodrome at Mopa in North Goa is commissioned, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed today.
From time to time, it has been a matter of discussion in some quarters of the state whether Dabolim airport will be shut for civilian use after the Mopa airport is built and starts functioning. Currently, Dabolim airport operates from a naval base.
“Fears that Dabolim would be closed after Mopa takes off are unwarranted. The Dabolim airport is currently super saturated, it cannot take even a single extra passenger or flight,” the CM said.
He further stated that closure of Dabolim airport would increase the burden on the new aerodrome at Mopa.
“When the Mopa airport was conceived, Goa was receiving 25 lakh tourists annually. Now that number has gone up to 80 lakh,” he told PTI.
According to the Government, the first phase of Mopa airport would be commissioned in 2020.
Information credit: PTI
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