Goa’s upcoming international airport at Mopa in North Goa is expected to be completed by August this year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in his budget speech on Wednesday.
“The construction of Mopa airport is in full swing and the project is expected to be completed, commissioned and dedicated to the nation by August 2022 in commemoration of the 75th year of India’s independence,” the Chief Minister told the state legislative assembly.
Sawant also said that a provision of Rs 16 crore had been made in the budget for strengthening, widening and re-carpeting of the existing approach road to the airport.
In its first phase the airport is expected to cater to 4.5 million passengers and at the end of fourth phase its passenger handling capacity is expected to be 13 million.
At the Dabolim Airport in Goa, there has been no dip in air traffic in wake of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, airport director Gagan Malik said. Malik told reporters late Thursday night that Air India had sought one more additional slot for a London-Goa flight.
“I do not see a difference in the air traffic, nor have my number of incoming passengers come down. If my incoming passengers have not dropped, then the outgoing passenger numbers will also not drop.”
The Airport Authority of India official also said that flights operated by Russian charter group Rossiya Airlines continued to fly to and from the Goa airport.
“Rossiya is operating on approved slots. Today (Thursday) there was a charter from Russia in which more than 506 passengers had arrived and 489 passengers had departed. No slot has been cancelled by Rossiya. Domestic flights have peaked very well and it shows that we are heading for normalcy.
