1.<BUSINESS STANDARD underlines the crux of the matter:<On permission forbuilding new airports within the 150-km radius of an existing facility, theCabinet said such proposals would be taken up on a case-to-case basis. **Itsaid the new airport?s impact on the existing one would be examined fortaking a decision.**>
A follow up report in BS takes a different tack based on the views of Hyderabad's airport developer:<A senior executive of GMR Hyderabad International Airports Ltd (GHIAL) said: ?The policy has kept us out of its ambit. Hence, even [sic] if we object to a second airport coming up in Hyderabad, it cannot be resolved through the airport policy and we are out of its reach.> http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?autono=321172&leftn m=3&subLeft=0&chkFlg= As pointed out previously the earlier report was in any case applicable to Mopa/Dabolim (the converse of the above) only by implication. Now perhaps the following may apply to Mopa: <industry experts say that the policy will be helpful in clearing future airport projects more easily. ?For instance, the proposed cargo airport at Jhajjar (Haryana) might give competition to the existing Delhi airport in cargo operations. But clearance for that airport will solely depend on the ministry and will not be taken to the Cabinet even though it is within the 150 km radius of the existing airport,? said an industry expert. The Jhajjjar cargo airport, which is a little more than 20 km from the existing Delhi airport, is being planned as part of the Reliance SEZ in Haryana. ?Also, future proposals for a second airport in cities like Ahmedabad will be more easily cleared,? he added.> So, what form should Mopa take: a specialised airport for cargo a la Jhajjar or a second (perhaps regional) airport for Goa a la Ahmedabad? It's anybody's guess. But hopefully Goa govt and important voices like GCCI are applying their minds actively to the issue well before Goa is faced with a fait accompli.