-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | | Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Margaret Alva has held out high hopes of widening the existing Dabolim runway and addition of another runway etc at a cost of Rs 300-500 crores ( a hefty 30-50% of the cost of the proposed Mopa airport). AAI has talked about terminal expansion plans at Dabolim which are subject to release of land by the military. The Navy goes ballistic when people complain about the constraints at Dabolim and points to the grossly unutilised night time hours even though these have been made available for over two years.
TOI Jan 12 has a double shot under the title "Will a better Mumbai airport ever take off?" One of the sub titles is "No night parking for new airlines". "AAI has allotted bays in four non-metros to almost all domestic carriers. Three night parking bays in Pune went to jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Air One (yet to launch). GoaAir ...was given slots at Baroda. Another still-to-be-lanched airline had to be content with a night parking slot in Indore ...Similarly, Ahmedabad airport's night parking bays have been ear-marked for Indian ..GoAir .. Air Deccan ... and Spice Jet." Why does Dabolim not figure in this list? Maybe it has no spare night parking slots since it has only 6 bays altogether. Why are these parking bays not being increased? WHY? Night parking at Dabolim would mean more early morning flights and late night flights from Dabolim to Mumbai and other big airports. This is what the Navy wants, right? So why the delay in releasing land for parking bays. Forget about widening the runway and adding another runway. That may only be pie-in-the-sky! Do any of you folks on goanet agree? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
