Centre urged to begin Gulf-Goa direct flights
PANJIM, MAY 2 - In view of difficulties from the Goan communities in Qatar,
Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain in wake on absence of any direct flights to
Goa, the NRI Affairs Department has written to the Civil Aviation Ministry
and the Air India for beginning the same.
Addressing a press conference, the Vice Admiral John C De Silva (Retd) -
Chairman Overseas Employment Agency of Goa, said that Goan communities in
Gulf lamented there were no direct flights and by routing through Mumbai,
there was an unforced halt of at least eight hours as the Goa airport is
closed from 8.30 am to 1 pm.
"The NRI Commissioner held meetings there itself with the AI/IA
representatives in Qatar, Muscat, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and also with the
travel agents/tour operators in Qatar and Abu Dhabi," he said.
The Commissioner in his letter to Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel
has suggested to them 6 options other than introduction of a new direct
flight to Goa.
"The options included advancing the departure of flights to Mumbai from the
Gulf to delay the JA flight from Mumbai to Goa, rerouting some of the
existing Kerala Gulf flights via Goa, extra special flights during the
Christmas holiday season and having at least one Gulf -Mumbai flight going
onward to Goa, which could take other passengers coming into the
international airport from other Gulf countries," he said.
De Silva said that he also had talks with private Airline Jet Airways and
had received a good response from the company.
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