Goa's Dual Airport System: An Efficient Travel Network

Goa, a small Indian state in western India, has two international airports located 50 km apart from each other. The existing airport in Dabolim, South Goa, and the new airport in Mopa, North Goa, are located in each of the two districts of Goa. The new airport in Mopa, named Manohar International Airport, was inaugurated on December 11, 2022, and became operational on January 5, 2023. The Dabolim Airport, on the other hand, was built in 1955 and is currently owned by the Government of Goa and the Indian Navy.

Goa has two international airports: Dabolim Airport and Manohar International Airport

Goa has two international airports—Dabolim Airport and Manohar International Airport—located 50 km apart from each other. Each of the two districts in Goa now has an international airport.

Dabolim Airport, located in South Goa near Vasco town, operates from the naval base INS Hansa. It is a civilian and military airport with only one runway, which has caused airside congestion. The airport was constructed in 1955 during the Portuguese era and was upgraded to a new terminal building in 2013. It currently handles around 8.5 million passengers per annum.

The new airport, Manohar International Airport, is located in Mopa, North Goa, on the Goa-Maharashtra border. It was inaugurated on 11 December 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and named after Goa's late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The airport aims to enhance Goa's connectivity by aiding the flow of civilian traffic to the state. It is built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure and has adopted state-of-the-art technologies. The first phase of the airport, completed in December 2022, can cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum, with a saturation capacity of 33 million. The airport has daily flights connecting to eight cities across India.

Dabolim Airport is located in South Goa

Dabolim Airport is Goa's original airport, constructed during the Portuguese era in 1955. It is an international airport, serving destinations in the Middle East, Russia, and the United Kingdom. It is jointly owned by the Government of Goa and the Indian Navy. A new terminal was inaugurated in 2013, but due to its dual civilian and military use, the airport has faced congestion issues with only one runway.

To address these issues, a second airport was proposed and constructed at Mopa in North Goa. This new airport, named Manohar International Airport, was inaugurated in December 2022 and began operations in January 2023. The addition of the Mopa Airport is expected to enhance Goa's connectivity and alleviate the congestion at Dabolim Airport.

Despite the opening of the new airport, the Dabolim Airport remains operational and continues to serve both domestic and international flights.

Manohar International Airport is in North Goa

Goa has two international airports, with the new airport in North Goa being named Manohar International Airport. Located in Mopa, North Goa's Pernem Taluka, the airport is around 35km from the capital Panjim. It is about 50km from the other airport in Goa, which is in Dabolim, South Goa.

Manohar International Airport was inaugurated on 11 December 2022 and opened for domestic operations on 5 January 2023. The airport is named after Manohar Parrikar, the former Defence Minister and the 10th Chief Minister of Goa. It is the fifteenth busiest airport in India, handling around 100 aircraft movements and about 15,000 passengers daily.

The airport is built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure, with a solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rainwater harvesting, and a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities. It is also equipped with modern technology, such as 3-D Monolithic Precast buildings, StabilRoad, and Robomatic Hollow precast walls.

The airport has an Integrated Passenger Terminal Building, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) building, meteorological facilities, a cargo terminal, and aircraft rescue and firefighting services. The primary runway is 3,500 metres long and 60 metres wide, with five aerobridges and nine remote parking bays.

The new airport in North Goa aims to enhance Goa's connectivity by aiding the flow of civilian traffic to the state. It will also help address the capacity issues faced by the naval airport at Dabolim, which had limited flight options and drove up fares during peak travel seasons.

The new airport in Mopa was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

On Sunday, 11 December 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Goa's new international airport in Mopa. This marked the inauguration of the second airport in Goa, with the first one being located in Dabolim. The new airport is named Manohar International Airport after former Goa chief minister and ex-defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

The airport is located in North Goa's Pernem district, about 30-35 kilometres away from the capital, Panjim. It was built at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crore and is based on the theme of sustainability. The airport is spread across 2,132 acres, with 232 acres earmarked for city-side commercial development. The airport's first phase will cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum, with an ultimate capacity of 3.3 crore passengers per annum.

The new airport will significantly improve connectivity and boost tourism and the economy in Goa. It will also provide a better experience for tourists and is a tribute to Manohar Parrikar's efforts for the state's progress. The airport will increase the number of direct connections to domestic and international locations. Additionally, it will provide a night parking facility and a cargo terminal with a handling capacity of 25,000 MT, which were not available at the Dabolim airport.

The inauguration of the Mopa airport is part of the government's plan to develop and operationalise 220 airports in the next five years, aiming to boost connectivity and spur economic development across the country.

Goa is the first Indian city-state to have two airports for scheduled commercial flights

Goa is a small Indian state in western India, bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is the first Indian city-state to have two airports for scheduled commercial flights. The two airports are located 50 km apart from each other, with each of the two districts in Goa having an international airport. The existing airport in Dabolim, South Goa, and the new airport in Mopa, North Goa, are both operational for civilian flights.

The Dabolim Airport, built in 1955, is currently owned by the Government of Goa and the Indian Navy. It operates as a civil enclave in a military airbase named INS Hansa. The airport has regular and charter flights to a few Middle Eastern countries, Russia, and the United Kingdom. However, due to being a mixed civilian and military airport, airside congestion was a significant problem as the airport only has one runway.

To address this issue, a new airport was proposed at Mopa, North Goa, which was inaugurated on December 11, 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new airport, named Manohar International Airport after the late Manohar Parrikar, aims to enhance Goa's connectivity and manage civilian traffic to the state. The Mopa airport has been built with sustainable infrastructure in mind and features a solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rainwater harvesting, and a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant.

The Mopa airport will cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA) initially, with an expandable capacity of up to 33 MPPA. IndiGo and Go First Airline have announced regular flights to and from the new airport, connecting Goa to several cities across India. The new airport in Mopa, along with the existing Dabolim airport, will contribute to the growth of the state and enhance its reputation as a famous tourist destination.

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