<Afra Dias commented on Dabolim Airport being one which charters land and no other flights land other than internal Indian flights.
This was the situation in the UK for a number of years when the regional airports tended to handle the charter traffic and the main London airports handled to scheduled flights. As the years go on the regional airports started to take on more and more schedule flights and one would have hoped Goa would do the same. This is perhaps not the case but I do see an Indian Airlines flight goes from Goa - Mumbai and then to the Gulf. Perhaps this is the start of a change in policy Dave -- David Futers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Newbiggin by the Sea http://www.futers.org Northumberland NE64 6NL UNITED KINGDOM> [Feb 24] The desired change in policy may take years to materialise. A deep look at the Goa aviation scene would reveal that the military (Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) are taking a very obstructionist stance at Dabolim by dint of their sheer incumbency position in combination with the "holy cow" status accorded to security matters. Their opponents, the South Goa hoteliers lobby, is equally obstructionist as far as Goa's overall aviation scene is concerned beacuse their opposition to the military presence in Dabolim is combined with a virulent opposition to the plan to have an international airport at Mopa. This is probably because of the severe locational disadvantage they foresee if the charter flights begin to land at a place which is some three or four times the present distance to their properties. The Civil Aviation Ministry has been content with securing on average an additional acre of land each year for the last 40 years to cope with the growing civilian traffic pressures at Dabolim. The Goa government and honourable MPs seem paralysed by other well known preoccupations to provide any leadership whatsoever in resolving the imbroglio to the satisfaction of travellers to and from Goa. So the chicken or the egg situation (vis a vis which comes first: the pull back of the military or the explosive growth of traffic at Dabolim) will continue for the foreseeable future.