Goemkarponn desk
DABOLIM: Amidst the raging controversy, Goa International Airport-Dabolim Director S.V.T. Dhanamjaya Rao today said that there has been a difference of 1.2 million passengers with the commissioning of Mopa Airport.
“There has been a difference of 1.2 million passengers with the commissioning of Mopa Airport. Which comes to around 15 per cent. We are adding two more connections and as such there is no threat but certainly operations will reduce with Qatar Airways shutting operations at Dabolim,” said Rao.
He further said that Qatar Airways may have chosen to operate from Mopa Airport but we have to respect their decision.
Qatar Airways is becoming one of the wins for GMR, with the announcement that the airline will switch operations from Goa’s older Dabolim airport to the new Mopa airport in June 2024. The other airlines that operate internationally from Mopa include Oman Air, Air India and IndiGo.
Qatar Airways announced that it would transition operations to the new Manohar International Airport (GOX) located in the North Goa district from the current Dabolim Airport (GOI) in South Goa, India, effective June 20, 2024.
This route will be served with the same schedule of a direct daily flight operated on a mix of Airbus 320 and Boeing 787.
With the ongoing Phase 3 Stage 1 expansion, the MIA aims to reach eight million passengers per annum and the works are expected to be completed before the winter schedule of 2024.
