Local Economy Boost, Happy Tourists: 5 Facts About New Goa Airport

Goa’s new airport: The airport in Mopa will have the capacity to handle 44 lakh passengers a year in the first phase

Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the international airport at Mopa in north Goa today. He is likely to name the airport after late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Mr Parrikar died in March 2019.

Here’s a 5-point cheatsheet on Goa’s Mopa airport

BJP’s Goa in-charge CT Ravi said he is not sure if the airport would be named after Mr Parrikar. However, he said the BJP would be glad if the airport is named after the late union minister. “We will feel nice if the airport is named after (Manohar) Parrikar,” Mr Ravi told the leading news channel NDTV.

The airport at Mopa in north Goa, being built at a cost of ₹ 2,870 crore, will be the second facility in the state in addition to the existing airport at Dabolim.

The airport will have the capacity to handle 44 lakh passengers a year in the first phase and it will go up to one crore passengers a year after the entire project is complete.

Dabolim airport has a capacity to handle 85 lakh passengers a year, but it does not have a facility for cargo transportation, which the new airport will have.

The new airport in Mopa will promote the local economy and be a major boost for tourism, as north Goa is already a popular tourist destination.