Dears, Philip writes,"The Sindhudurg plan opens the way for a more convenient (domestic) airport for Bangalore (assuming HAL stays closed) located just across the border in Karnataka." This is not so. Bangalore is a good 650-plus kilometres from anywhere in Sindhudurg. What is "just across the border" from Sindhudurg is Tiracal/Terekhol, Kerim, Ashwem, Mandrem, Janos waddo and Morjim. Even Calangute beach will be closer to Sindhudurg than Dabolim airport ....and without the hassles of organised Tourist taxi operators for the first few years.
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 09:49:38 +0530 From: "Philip Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Goanet] Centre okays greenfield airport in Sindhudurg (ET) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> airport for Sindhudurg district, which borders Goa. The proposed greenfield airport would come within just about 100 km north of Goa's congested Dabolim airport - which is mainly forthe navy... in response to the state government's proposal to set up a Rs492-crore domestic airport at Sindhudurg through the public-private-partnership route...For the project, 271 hectares [670 acres] of non-agricultural land owned by the state government have already been identified.> It is strange that no attempt was made during the past one year (since the ICAO okay for two airports in Goa) to recast Mopa airport along the lines of Sindhudurg even if the ultimate objective for Mopa was an international airport of 1800 acres. It shows the unfortunate extent of rigidity in the civil aviation ministry's and Goa government's thinking which does not bode well for mega projects. This should have been easy given the ready availability of computer software for assessing numerous options nowadays. It also poses questions about the applicability of the 150 km separation rule. If Mopa was subject to that (as a result of which the Cabinet resolution was passed in 2000) then why not Sindhudurg? Why was Mopa slated to be an international airport way back in 1998/2000 when Dabolim was (and still is) only getting charter flights that too averaging a few flights per day and that too during season. There are no scheduled international direct flights worth speaking of. The only aim seems to have been to hand Dabolim civil enclave back to the military (as was done in Kochi and subsequently in Bangalore and Hyderabad) if not by fiat then by default (due to the natural shift of airlines to a better and hopefully well connected airport in Mopa). The Sindhudurg plan opens the way for a more convenient (domestic) airport for Bangalore (assuming HAL stays closed) located just across the border in Karnataka. Goa government needs to pull up its socks and apply its mind to these issues for Goa's sake. -- -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa Ph 9822982676 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
