Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goans for Dabolim Only (GFDO) has alleged that moves are reportedly underway to shut Dabolim Airport for civil aviation in order to support the struggling Manohar International Airport at Mopa, operated by the GMR Group.
In a press release issued on February 17, GFDO said it was not surprised by reports suggesting that Dabolim could be sacrificed to prop up the Mopa airport. The organisation claimed it had repeatedly warned the government and prospective bidders that the Mopa project carried serious structural and financial risks.
GFDO stated that concerns flagged earlier by expert reports, including those by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Aéroports de Paris Ingénierie (ADPI), had pointed to feasibility issues. The mounting financial losses at Mopa over the past three years, the group said, were a predictable outcome of what it termed a “deeply flawed and commercially unsound project.”
According to GFDO, keeping Mopa competitive vis-à-vis Dabolim would restrict GMR’s ability to levy higher user development fees and tariffs required to recover its costs. The organisation alleged that closing Dabolim for civil operations would allow the private operator greater freedom to impose steep charges on passengers, airlines and businesses, at the expense of Goans and visitors.
The group further accused the government of prioritising corporate interests, claiming that vast tracts of land were acquired from villagers and farmers for the airport project while public funds were channelled into related infrastructure such as bridges and highway expansions to connect the northern airport with the rest of the state.
GFDO also referred to repeated assurances by the Chief Minister and other ministers that Dabolim would remain operational for civil aviation. It said these assurances now appear uncertain amid reported high-level discussions in Delhi regarding the airport’s future.
Alleging that Dabolim is being lined up for “sacrifice” to rescue a private operator’s financial gamble, GFDO termed any such move a betrayal of public trust and demanded clarity from the government on the future of civil aviation operations in Goa.
