Goa aims to launch its 2nd International Airport for Tourists

• A brief Intro to Manohar International Airport

Manohar International Airport (IATA: GOX, ICAO: VOGA) is a greenfield airport in Mopa, Pernem taluka, North Goa district, Goa, India. GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), a special purpose entity (SPV), is constructing the airport. Constructing it costs 3,000 crores (US$380 million). They are developing the airport in four phases under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model, with the first phase having a total cost of 1,500 crores (US$190 million).

The Government of India has given its in-principle approval for a second airport in the state of Goa as early as March 2000, as part of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s showpiece project for boosting tourism as Goa is a major tourist hotspot for international travelers arriving at this incredible country through cheap tickets to India. However, land acquisition concerns and local disputes caused a 14-year stall in the project’s progress.

The original plan was to finish it by the fiscal year 2019-2020, but a Supreme Court injunction impeded work on-site, along with the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, which led to lockdowns, restrictions, and curfews, resulting in a labor shortage and construction delays. The airport construction and inauguration took place in December 2022, with operations commencing in January 2023 for domestic & long-route international flights, including last-minute flights.

They named the airport Mopa International Airport in Goa after former Defence Minister and the 10th Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened it on December 11, 2022.

Airlines such as Go First and Indigo will be among the first to plan flights from this airport beginning on January 5, 2023.

• Interesting things to know about

1. The new airport in Mopa would increase connectivity and promote tourism in Goa with cheap tickets to India facilities. Manohar Parrikar International Airport exemplifies the country’s changing government philosophy and attitude to infrastructure today. “We took the initiative to bring air travel to the country’s tiniest cities,” Prime Minister Modi stated.
2. The airport in Mopa, located in north Goa, is under construction at a cost of 3000 crores. It will become the state’s second facility, alongside the existing airport at Dabolim
3. In the first phase, the airport will accommodate a capacity of 44 lakh people per year, which will increase to one crore passengers per year once the full project is completed.
4. Dabolim airport can accommodate 85 lakh people per year, but it lacks freight transportation capabilities, which the new airport will have.
5. The new airport in Mopa would enhance the local economy and tourism in north Goa, which is already a famous tourist destination among international tourists coming by last minute flights.
6. Utpal Parrikar, the late Chief Minister’s son, has stated that naming the airport after his father would be a “happy moment.”
7. PM Modi lay the airport’s foundation stone in November 2016.
8. In a series of tweets, GMR Goa International Airport Limited stated that the facility will help the state’s socio-economic growth.
9. According to the business, they used 3-D monolithic precast technology to construct an aviation skill development center and a police station.
10. They stated, “We have established 5G compatible IT infrastructure for greater connectivity,” and added that they offer a self-baggage drop option for speedier check-in.