Instead of one vague report once in a blue moon in the local paper, today there are THREE (vague!) reports on aviation. How about that! But because the dreaded N-word has been studiously avoided, the chronic blindspot about Goa's aviation persists and enlightenment is marginal.
1. "AAI to spend Rs 8 cr on developing Dabolim airport". This is reportedly for "upgrading" the security hold area on the first floor. Some cosmetic exercise? Shades of IFFI in a jiffy! What the airport probably really needs is 75 extra acres of land pronto from the Navy for parking planes including A380s, right? Night parking is the need of the hour and currently there is space for only 6 planes in 25 acres. 2. "CM chairs Mopa airport committee meeting". Main nugget: "The provision of TWO runways was necessary according to the ministry" (emphasis mine). The name of the "ministry" is left a mystery to the reader, most probably civil aviation minstry although no mention is made of any attendees thereof. Why two runways? Is it due to physical/technical reasons such as crosswinds, headwinds, tailwinds etc? Or is it for economic reasons such as creation of a super-airport in the middle of nowhere? The airport is supposedly to be benchmarked against Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad as well as four international airports (two in the western hemisphere and two in the eastern hemisphere for which foreign jaunts will duly be undertaken by Goa govt people). 3. "Dabolim struggles to cope with extra wings" by Gerard Fernandes. Main contribution: "Whether the airlines would adhere strictly to flight timings is a big question mark ... The domestic flights operating from Goa or the Dabolim airport (sic) has been quite notorious (sic) when it comes to flight timings".
