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TRI Continental Film Festival - Dona Paula, Goa, Sep 28 - Oct 2, 2007
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Dabolim airport to get Rs 500 crore facelift
BS Reporter / Mumbai/ Panaji September 10, 2007
The Dabolim International Airport in Goa is all set to get a facelift.
The Union government is said to have promised an investment of Rs 500
crore towards this. Apart from that, the airport will facilitate direct
landing for scheduled international flights.
"The Navy, which has been running the Goa airport, has agreed to allow
direct landing of all scheduled flights at Goa instead of having to
adopt the Mumbai route. In addition to this, Air India is considering
starting a direct flight to Dubai from Goa," said Goa tourism minister
Mickky Pacheco.
According to him, several foreign private airlines, including Virgin
Airlines from Europe, Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Midland from
Manchester in Britain and Air Arabia from Sharjah are ready to fly
directly to Goa, avoiding the present circuitous routes.
Pacheco further stated that the government was examining the economic
viability of such direct operations as well as the possibility of
launching direct flights from Goa to these foreign destinations.
For the airport's revamp, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has
planned to build a terminal with four aero-bridges to facilitate the
landing of wide-bodied aircraft at the Dabolim International Airport in
Goa.
The move is aimed at easing the growing air traffic congestion,
particularly due to the growing number of charter flights, at the
airport.
According to official sources, the Union government has agreed to make
an investment to the tune of Rs 500 crore to revamp the airport. Apart
from that, the AAI will offer 18 acres, as well as acquire nine acres
from the naval authorities to facilitate the airport's expansion.
"We plan to extend the airport apron to aid the landing of bigger
aircraft, besides pressing into service the instrument landing facility
for night operations," Said Pacheco.
The plan is to use the additional land to enhance parking facilities,
from the present capacity of four to five aircraft to at least 10
aircraft, including four A-320s and six ATR turboprops.
There are also plans to construct parallel taxiways as well as develop
passenger terminals and cargo terminals to ease the traffic congestion.
The expansion plans are in keeping with the projected growth of the
airport. "At present, we have around 800 international and over 7,000
domestic flights annually and the figures are poised to increase
tremendously in the years to come," claimed Pacheco.
According to official sources, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which
presently uses a road running across the airport runway, will be asked
to operate its traffic through an alternative route to facilitate the
expansion of the airport.
With the revamp of the Dabolim International Airport on the anvil, there
are growing concerns that the state government may discontinue the
international airport project at Mopa along the Goa-Maharashtra border.
"It is up to the six-member Central committee headed by chief minister
Digambar Kamat to decide whether to go ahead with the Mopa International
Airport project or not," maintained the minister.
http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu2&subL
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~(^^)~
Avelino
