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Manohar International Airport

Coordinates: 15°43′56″N 73°52′05″E / 15.7322°N 73.8680°E / 15.7322; 73.8680
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For the other airport in Mormugão, see Dabolim Airport. For the airport in Italy with IATA code “GOA”, see Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport.
Manohar International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorGMR Goa International Airport Limited
ServesGoa
LocationMopa, Goa, India
Opened11 December 2022; 2 years ago (2022-12-11)[1]
Hub forFly91
Elevation AMSL552 ft / 168 m
Coordinates15°43′56″N 73°52′05″E / 15.7322°N 73.8680°E / 15.7322; 73.8680
WebsiteManohar International Airport
Map
GOX is located in Goa
GOX
GOX
Location of the airport in Goa
GOX is located in India
GOX
GOX
GOX (India)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 3,750 12,303 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2023 – March 2024)
Passengers4,406,087 (Increase 563.4%)
Aircraft movements29,808 (Increase 515.7%)
Cargo tonnage1,623 (Increase 134.5%)
Source: AAI[2][3][4]

Manohar International Airport (IATA: GOX, ICAO: VOGA),[5] is an international airport at Mopa in Pernem taluka, North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It serves North Goa and the adjoining districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and as a second airport of Goa after Dabolim Airport in Dabolim.

The airport is developed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV).[6] It is built at a cost of ₹3,000 crore (equivalent to ₹32 billion or US$380 million in 2023). In financial year 2023–24, the airport handled over 4.4 million passengers, which is close to its current maximum capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year.[7][2] On an average, the airport handles around 100 aircraft movements and about 15,000 passengers daily.[8] It is the fifteenth busiest airport in India. It is named after the former Minister of Defence and the former Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar.[5]

The airport was completed and opened on 11 December 2022, with operations starting from 5 January 2023 with the first flight operated by IndiGo.[1][9][10] It was expected to be completed by the financial year 2019–2020,[11] but was delayed due to a Supreme Court order that impeded work on site,[12] and also due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which caused lockdowns, restrictions, and curfews, resulting in lack of labor and delays in construction.

The airport is built under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model in four phases, with the first phase costing a total of ₹1,500 crore (equivalent to ₹16 billion or US$190 million in 2023). The airport will cater to 4.4 million passengers in the first phase and 13.1 million by the end of the fourth phase.[13] The concession period for the greenfield project is 40 years with a possible extension of another 20 years through a bid process and the revenue share payable by the concessionaire to the government is 36.9%.[14] The airport will operate on a hybrid model with 30% cross-subsidy, and the concession offers 232 acres of land for commercial city-side development for a period of 60 years.[15]

History

[edit]

Goa's current airport at Dabolim is a civil enclave operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a military airfield, owned by the Indian Navy. Civilian and military operations share a common runway, resulting in severe airside congestion. This deters the long-term growth of civilian traffic at the airport.[13]

It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee's flagship project. The Government of India had given its in-principle approval for a second airport in the state of Goa as early as March 2000. However, the project was stuck for 14 years due to land acquisition issues and local litigation.

The ICAO's techno-economic feasibility report submitted in 2013, that projected air traffic of 10 million passengers at Goa by 2035, eventually established the feasibility of the Mopa project.[16] The Goa Government issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the project in October 2014.[17] Five bidders, GMR Group, GVK Group, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Essel Infra and Voluptas developers expressed interest. Essel Infra partnered with Zurich Airports, and Voluptas Developers, which belongs to the Hiranandani Group tied-up with Vinci Airports, Rome, to bid for the airport project.[18] On October 28, 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted environment clearance to the project.[19] The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project were issued in January 2016, seeking bids from interested companies to construct the airport. Two of the five companies that responded to the RFQ decided not to participate in the RFP.[18] The bids were opened in August 2016. GMR Airports Limited, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited won the competitive bid to develop and operate the airport. The Airports Authority of India emerged as the second highest bidder followed by the consortium of Essel Infra-Incheon. In October, GMR Airports Limited formed the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) to raise funds for, design, construct, and run the project.[6] GMR Airports Ltd signed a concession agreement with the Government of Goa on 8 November 2016.[15]

In 2016, the State Government proposed to establish an Aviation Skill Development centre in order to provide employment opportunities at the airport to local youth.[20] The concessionaire would be required to give preference to bona-fide Goans for all jobs at the airport.[21] This Aviation Skill Development Centre was initially to be set up by the concessionaire either at the Pernem ITI campus or any other ITI centre. However, in 2020, the location of the proposed centre was shifted to the airport premises itself.[22]

Project completion and Inauguration

[edit]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on 13 November 2016.[23] The State Government acquired 78.41 lakh square metres of land for the airport from villages of Casarvarnem, Chandel, Varconda, Uguem, and Mopa in Pernem taluka.[24] In January 2017, the Goa Government declared an area within five km2 radius of the airport as 'Mopa International Airport planning area' for the purpose of regulating growth near the project area.[25]

GGIAL and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Delhi on 31 March 2017 for necessary support from the centre to develop the airport. The master plan of the airport was also reviewed and approved by Engineers India through a separate contract earlier in 2017.[26] GGIAL invited tenders for the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract in June 2017, which was awarded to Philippines-based Megawide Construction Corporation in February 2018.[27]

The Goa Government finally put its stamp on the project by enacting "The Goa (Manohar International Airport Development Authority) Act, 2018"[28] on 5 September 2018. Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry gave security clearance for the construction in October 2018.[29] On 18 January 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the Goa Government and GGIAL to maintain status quo on the project[30] due to environmental impact. Construction of phase 1 of the airport was underway when the top court had given its order. The Court allowed resumption of construction work at the project site in January 2020.[31] 50% of the airport construction had been completed by 2021,[32] and 90% had been completed by July 2022.[33][34]

On 11 December 2022, the airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and renamed to Manohar International Airport after former Defence Minister and the 10th Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar.[35][1] It opened for domestic operations on 5 January 2023, with the first flight operated by IndiGo.[9][10][36][37][38] Air India became the first airline to begin regular international flights from the airport to London Gatwick Airport from 21 July 2023.[39]

The airport is code 'E' compliant, featuring a 3.5 kilometre long runway with Rapid Exit Taxiways. The airport has an Integrated Passenger Terminal Building, Air Traffic Control (ATC) building, meteorological facilities, a cargo terminal, ancillary facilities for processing and storage, aircraft rescue and firefighting services and infrastructure for aviation fuel.

Airlines and destinations

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Seasonal: Moscow–Sheremetyevo,[40] Yekaterinburg[41]
Air Arabia Sharjah[42]
Air India Delhi,[43] Hyderabad, London–Gatwick, Mumbai[44][39]
Akasa Air Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune[45]
Fly91Agatti, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jalgaon, Pune,[46][47] Solapur (begins 23 December 2024)[48]
IndiGo Ahmedabad, Aurangabad,[49] Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Rajkot,[50] Vadodara[51]
Oman Air Muscat[52]
Qatar Airways Doha[53]
SpiceJetAhmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune[54]
Star AirShivamogga[55]
TUI AirwaysSeasonal: London–Gatwick, Manchester[56]
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent[57]

Accessibility

[edit]

The airport is situated 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Dargalim off National Highway 66 (NH-66). A new national highway, designated NH-166S, has been built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to directly connect the airport with the NH-66 and the rest of the state and neighbouring states. It was inaugurated by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on 12 July 2024, after about three years of construction.[58][59] The 6.6 km (4.1 mi)-long, six-lane elevated corridor was built at a cost of around ₹770 crore (US$92 million). It allows passengers to access the airport from the highway junction within five minutes by bypassing local villages.[60]

The nearest railway station is Pernem railway station, on the Konkan Railway. Ride hailing services such as Uber and Ola Cabs are yet to begin services in the airport.[61] The state-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation operates bus services to the airport from Panaji, Mapusa, and Margao.[62]

The airport will be directly connected with the nearby neighbouring districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka via the proposed Nagpur–Goa Expressway by the next 4–5 years. The expressway, which will begin near Nagpur at Wardha district will terminate at an interchange with the NH-66 at Patradevi, located about 20 km (12 mi) north from the airport on the Maharashtra–Goa border.[63][64]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Sinha, Saurabh (11 December 2022). "Goa gets its 2nd airport today, Dabolim to also remain operational". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Service, Statesman News (2023-01-04). "Cabinet approves renaming of Goa airport after Manohar Parrikar". The Statesman. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  6. ^ a b "GMR forms SPV to raise funds for Manohar International Airport". The Times of India. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  7. ^ Saxena, Ankit (27 March 2024). "Goa's New Airport Has Captured Nearly Half Of State's Air Traffic In Its First Year — A Ground Report". Swarajya. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Goa's Manohar intl airport capacity to touch eight million this year". The Economic Times. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
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  10. ^ a b "First flight lands at Manohar International Airport in Goa from Hyderabad". www.business-standard.com. Press Trust of India. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
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  12. ^ "Goa's Manohar International Airport delayed by a year". The Indian Express. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  13. ^ a b "GMR Infra to develop Manohar International Airport in Goa". The Economic Times. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
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  15. ^ a b "GMR unit signs concession pact for international airport in north Goa". LiveMint. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  16. ^ "ICAO presents feasibility report on Manohar International Airport". Business Standard. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Five bidders show interest in Mopa construction". The Times of India. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Another extension for bids for Manohar International Airport". The Times of India. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Environment ministry nod to Rs3,000 cr airport at Mopa in Goa". Live Mint. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Skill devp centre to help youth get jobs at Greenfield airport". Moneycontrol.com. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  21. ^ "CM promises job opportunities for ITI students at Manohar International Airport". O Heraldo. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Aviation Skill Development Centre at Mopa now". Times of India. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  23. ^ "PM Modi lays foundation stone for Mopa greenfield airport in Goa". The Times of India. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Mopa farmers to soon receive 3 times more compensation". The Navhind Times. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  25. ^ "Goa government notifies planning area at Mopa". The Times of India. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  26. ^ "EIL provided services as Independent Engineer for Manohar International Airport". PSU Watch. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Philippines company picked from 3 to build Manohar International Airport". The Times of India. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  28. ^ "The Goa (Manohar International Airport Development Authority) Act, 2018" (PDF). 5 September 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  29. ^ "MHA gives security nod for construction of Manohar International Airport". Indian Express. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  30. ^ "SC stops construction work of airport project at Mopa". The Times of India. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  31. ^ "After a year, SC allows resuming construction of airport at Goa's Mopa". Live Mint. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Goa: 50% Manohar International Airport work done, additional 25% by March 2022 | Goa News". The Times of India. TNN. Dec 13, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  33. ^ "90 pc work of Goa's Manohar International Airport complete, commissioning after Aug 15: CM Sawant". ThePrint. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  34. ^ "Manohar International Airport successfully completes Instrument Land System calibration". Business Standard. 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  35. ^ "Mopa International Airport in Goa named after former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar". ANI.
  36. ^ "Akasa Air Flight Schedule". Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  37. ^ "Go First to operate 42 weekly flights from Goa's new airport". Livemint. 9 Jan 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  38. ^ "GO FIRST / INDIGO OUTLINES GOA MOPA NETWORK FROM JAN 2023". Aeroroutes. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  39. ^ a b Shetye, Murari (12 July 2023). "Air India flight to London to kick off Mopa's international innings on July 21". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  40. ^ "Aeroflot Resumes Moscow – Goa Service From Oct 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  41. ^ ""Аэрофлот" открыл продажи билетов в Гоа из Москвы и Екатеринбурга". Tourdom.ru (in Russian). Профессиональный портал TourDom.ru — проект ООО «Служба Банко». Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Next, Air Arabia set to shift Ops from Dabolim to Mopa". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  43. ^ "Air India to launch Delhi to Goa–Mopa flights from January 2024". AviationAll. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  44. ^ "Air India to commence Mumbai-Goa Mopa service in Dec-2023". CAPA. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  45. ^ "Akasa Air Flight Network". Akasa Air. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  46. ^ "Fly91 announces commencement of flight operations from March 18". The Hindu. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  47. ^ "Flight Schedule" (PDF). Fly91. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  48. ^ "Fly91 Solapur expansion".
  49. ^ Darkunde, Mahesh (24 May 2024). "IndiGo Launching New Flights from Goa to Aurangabad and Nagpur". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  50. ^ Mondal, Anish (10 September 2023). "Gujarat: Rajkot International Airport starts functioning, IndiGo to operate all its services from here – Details inside". The Financial Express. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  51. ^ "Flight Schedule". IndiGo. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  52. ^ "OMAN AIR NS23 GOA OPERATIONS". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  53. ^ "Qatar Airways to Move Operations to North Goa, India from Dabolim Airport to the New, Manohar International Airport". Qatar Airways (Press release). 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  54. ^ "SpiceJet Flight Service". Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  55. ^ Pall, Samreen (19 October 2023). "Star Air To Begin Flight Service From Karnataka's Shivamogga To Goa, Hyderabad And Tirupati". News18. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  56. ^ "TUI FILES UK – GOA MANOHAR SCHEDULE IN NW23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  57. ^ Liu, Jim (3 September 2024). "Uzbekistan Airways Plans Goa Launch in 4Q24". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  58. ^ "Goa: Centre notifies national highway for Mopa airport". The Times of India. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  59. ^ "Pay toll fee to use new link road and reach mopa airport 15 minutes faster". The Times of India. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  60. ^ "Mopa airport link road may be operational before rains". The Times of India. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  61. ^ "Flyers arriving at Goa's Mopa International Airport share painful experience of hours-long wait for taxis". cnbctv18.com. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  62. ^ Nida Sayed (Jan 4, 2023). "Electric KTC buses to ply between Mopa and Panaji". The Times of India. Goa News. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  63. ^ "Nagpur-Goa expressway to come up to reduce travel time: Fadnavis". The Indian Express. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  64. ^ Naik, Yogesh and Gangan P., Surendra (10 March 2023). "In infra boost, state proposes Nagpur-Goa expressway". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 March 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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