Mopa (Goa): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday commissioned the first phase of the greenfield international airport at Mopa in North Goa. The new airport would be named Manohar International Airport after former defense minister Manohar Parrikar who also served as Chief Minister of Goa until his death in 2019.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi said that previous governments adopted a "vote bank approach for decades instead of finding what people needed in terms of public amenities."
"This was a long-standing demand of the people of Goa that the state needs another airport. The planning was done during Atalji's (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) government. But there was no progress after that. In 2016, we laid the foundation stone and now after the challenge of the Covid pandemic, the airport is ready," PM Modi said.
"In the last eight years, whenever I got the opportunity to come amid you, I always said that I will return your love with full interest. This airport is an attempt to return the love that I received from you. I am so happy that the airport is named after Goa ke ladle, late Manohar Parrikar," he said.
The foundation stone of the airport was laid by the PM in November 2016. This will be the second airport in Goa, the first one being located at Dabolim. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "For the first time in the country, two airports have been established in a city. Under the previous government, not even a single airport was constructed in a year. Wherever there will be double engine government, development will happen."
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Airlines like Indigo and GoFirst have already announced plans to launch 168 and 42 flights respectively from the new airport next month. This is the government's effort towards providing world-class infrastructure and transport facilities across the country.
Developed at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crore, the airport is built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the airport in November 2016.
"The development of a Greenfield airport at Mopa, Goa is a prestigious project being developed by the State Government of Goa under public-private-partnership (PPP) mode at a revised sanctioned project cost of Rs 2,870 crore," read an official statement from the government.
The new international airport is located in the Northern part of Goa, about 35 km away from Panaji, the capital city of Goa. The in-principle approval to Goa government for setting up a greenfield airport at Mopa village was granted by the Centre in March 2000. According to official information, the airport is expected to promote the socio-economic development of the state and meet the needs of the tourism industry.
It has the potential to serve as a major logistics hub, directly connecting several domestic and international destinations. Multi-modal connectivity is also planned for the airport. Being a world-class airport, the airport will also give visitors the feel and experience of Goa.
"The existing airport at Goa which is a Civil Enclave for which a terminal building is maintained by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a defence airport belonging to the Indian Navy. Goa's Dabolim airport will not be closed for civilian use even after the new international airport at Mopa becomes fully operational," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
