-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | | | | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | | | | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is an excerpt from an article which appeared in Business Standard on Sept 1, 05. As such the excerpt seems to neatly capture the economic argument against closure of civil enclaves like Dabolim.
For full text pls see: http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=lmn u5&leftindx=5&lselect=1&chklogin=N&autono=198922 < The economics of airport operation are heavily skewed towards numbers. At current levels of traffic and expected growth rates, it will be some years before Mumbai and Delhi can support two profitable airports[each]. More so as they will continue to have a sizeable share of domestic passengers, which is not the case for the other airports mentioned. This means far lower revenue opportunities from non-aviation businesses. Of course, an argument can be made that activity on new airports should begin well ahead of the time when traffic warrants them. But, in the Indian context, this will also mean substantial new investment in supporting infrastructure and connectivity, which is outside the purview of the aviation sector. The only reasonable approach under these circumstances is to make investments in capacity expansion and efficiency improvements of the existing facilities, so that they can accommodate the expected growth. > What the government ends up doing is in effect to try and make two wrongs into a right. It does this by first refusing to visualise the possibility of the military relocating to a fairly low cost (Rs 30-50 cr) greenfield airstrip to allow civilian traffic to build up at the civil enclave. Then it goes and shuts down the civil enclave once a new civilian airport such as Mopa is built at humungous cost (Rs 1000 cr) not including the cost of new access roads/expressways etc. The huge time delays all around are an added burden and time, of course, is money. Who will be able to get these fairly straightforward ideas through the bull-headed civil aviation and defense ministries of GOI? This should be GOG's job but they are absolutely clueless!
