Goa now has two international airports: the newly opened greenfield airport at Mopa, which is 50 km from the Dabolim facility in south Goa, and the Dabolim Airport also known as Indian Navy’s INS air station, which serves as a civil enclave.
//Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!There is now an international airport in each of Goa’s two districts: the new airport in Mopa and the current one in Dabolim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the first phase of the Rs 2,870 crore Mopa airport project.
By facilitating the flow of civilian traffic into the state, the new airport, which will be called Manohar International Airport in honor of the late Manohar Parrikar, hopes to improve Goa’s aviation connectivity.
The airport’s first phase will accommodate about 4.4 million passengers annually (MPPA), with the possibility of expanding to 33 MPPA for saturation. Whereas the new airport in North Goa’s Pernem taluka is located on the boundary between Goa and Maharashtra, the old Dabolim airport, which is a component of the Indian Navy’s INS Hansa and handles civilian aircraft, is located close to Vasco town in south Goa. The Dabolim airport can currently handle 8.5 MPPA of both domestic and foreign travelers.
This airport was built in 1955, during the Portuguese era, however in 2013, it underwent an upgrade to a new terminal building.
The Mopa airport was constructed with sustainable infrastructure in mind. Among its many features are a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities, LED lights on the runway, green buildings, solar power plants, rainwater collection systems and better car rental at mopa airport services.
The company has incorporated state-of-the-art technology such as 5G compatible IT infrastructure, Robomatic Hollow precast walls, StabilRoad, and 3-D Monolithic Precast buildings. PM Modi lay the airport’s foundation stone in November 2016.
The main runway at Mopa Airport is 3,500 meters long and 60 meters wide, and it complies with Code E/F. It can accommodate an Airbus A380. There are 14 aircraft stands on the apron. Nine remote parking bays make up the remaining five aerobridges. Additionally, it will permit aircraft parking at night. All of these facilities have the capacity to grow in the future to accommodate market demand.
With 18 check-in desks spread across 67,726 square meters, the passenger terminal building The height of the air traffic control tower is 49 meters. The New Goa Airport states that it is an asset with no carbon imprint.
A major infrastructure project is being carried out by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to improve connection to the newly built Mopa Airport. At Porvorim, a six-lane elevated road spanning 5.15 km is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 641.46 crore. This elevated corridor connects Sangolda Junction directly to the Majestic Hotel segment of NH-66, with the goal of enhancing accessibility to the airport. The building of this elevated corridor will improve the region’s overall connectivity by enabling quicker and more efficient travel to and from Mopa Airport. Also one can easily grab a taxi outside the Goa’s new airport and also car rental at Goa airport is a good option as many car rental provide pickup and drop services at airport for hassle free trip to Goa. Hiring a self drive car in Goa is very affordable and at the same time you also get freedom to enjoy your trip with your own pace.
