<A recent study conducted by Lufthansa Consulting (LHC) has estimated the international airport's opening year (2008) traffic flow to be 6.7 million passengers. "Given the new traffic figures, the facilities proposed initially would be grossly inadequate to cater to the new peak-hour demand," the sources pointed out. BIAL went in for a revised traffic forecast after Bangalore experienced strong growth in traffic at the HAL airport from 2.3 million passengers in 2001 to about five million passengers in 2005, as economic success spurred greater demand for air travel.>
Isnt this the kind of initiative ICAO/ADPI should have taken on getting wind of the controversy over Mopa + Dabolim? What is the point of waiting for 6 months for the PM to ask for this re-study? Why did the proposal not come up in the first meeting of the high-powered panel held recently to go into the issue? Of course there are the 1) hasty Union Cabinet resolution of 2000 2) the Civil Aviation Minister's recent flippant 'thumbs down' to Dabolim and 3) the bogus air base scenario (supported purely by holier-than-thou patriotic prattle and military mumbo-jumbo) to contend with. All big millstones round the neck of the Goan people and the hordes who want to visit them in a sensible and safe way!
