DABOLIM OR MOPA AIRPORT A STRATEGIC CHOICE
My grandfather and my father always told me that Dabolim airport was a
civilian airport .It became a military airport after India invaded Goa
in 1961. The Indian Navy grabbed it after libration. The current airport
in Goa belongs to the Navy, with the Airports Authority of India
maintaining a civil enclave to facilitate operation of flights by
commercial airlines.Nobody know what kind of treaty or agrerement did
the ester Goa governement signed with the indian Navy. Was it the gift
of liberation to the Indian Navy.???
During the election campaign malign Politicians like Churchill Almao,
Mr. Sardinha used Dabolim airport as a majeur Goan issue and played
with Goan sentiments to gain votes
The recent statemet of the Chairman of the Estimates Committee of Lok
Sabha Francisco Sardinha has asserted that the Dabolim airport will not
be closed under any circumstances even if Mopa airport becomes a
reality.How can he make such an empty and sensless statement without
giving a deep throught to it
India is of an emerging aerospace market. Those trying to assess its
economic potential could easily miss the mark simply because of the
speed and scale of change .Indian middle class, for instance, now
numbering about 50 million people, is forecast to swell to nearly 600
millions by 2025-which translates into a huge projected increase in air
travel demand. Airlines in India plan to acquire more than 300 aircrafts
valued at approximately $35 billions during the coming decade, and it is
easy to understand why: Domestic air traffic is forecast to grow by up
to 180 million passengers and the international traffic is expected to
increase by 50 million passengers annually by 2020-largely a function of
that of burgeoning middle class wanting improved mobility.
Goa being a touristic state, airport capacity is a challenge not only
for Goa but to other states as well and also for Indian aviation that
may never go away. With 1.1 billion people and a economy firmly on the
road to development, it is very clear that in coming decades India will
need one of the world’s mightiest system of aviation ground facilities-
12% annual growth in passengers numbers forecast by the Ministry of
Civil Aviation for the coming decade implies that Indian airport
capacity must double every six years. If the industry grow more that
15%, as it has recently, then the airport must double every four or five
years.
Goa only airport stand to this trend.????
Airport investment for next five years will be around $8.5 billion ( 400
billion rupees) around three-quarters of which will be developments
financed by both private and public sectors, according to governement’s
committe on infrastructure.
New Delhi airport has a capacity of 18 million , and if the trend
continue by 2026 it’s ultimate capacity will be 100 millions.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at Mumbai is growing to 40
million from 16 million , with a possible stretch to 45 million.
Governement plan to upgrade 35 so called non metro aeroport which
analyst expect will be served mainly by hub-and spoke connecting to the
biggest facilities
Indian Airlines last year produced a combined loss of $2 billion. In the
last fiscal year, with the downturn has stregthened low cost model.
Inspite of such a huge loss the companies are likely to invest in new
planes. Domestic Airlines are operating arround 400 aircrafts, 150 are
with the governement owned Air India . this number is grown to 305 this
year. India will need 200 -250 regional jets in next decade to feed ist
hubs Say Ebraer`s Luiz Segio Chiessi-
Indian Domestic Passenger Airlines Share of Market: King fischer airways
hold indian domestic market to the tune of 22% followed by Jet airways
by 19% , Airindia 18%, Indigo 15%, Spicejet 13%, Jetlite 7%, GoAir 5%
Paramount 1%.
With so much of potential in the Indian aviation market , Goa can set
an example to other states by attracting the industries like MRO
(Maintance, repair, and overhaul.) MRO should focus especially in
those areas that are labour intensive so that the Goan can get jobs in
its own land.
To my opinion there cannot be two airports running parallel to each
other at the radius of 50 km. It is obvious that one airport had to be
closed down. The reason are many such as the capacity,
Infrastructure,,expansion, the maintance cost and the huge running cost
of two airports.
Goa being a trouristic state., the need of the hours is either to
upgrade the Dabolin airport or to construct the new one so that Goa
remain in indian streamline of development.
Today we witness in Goa that there is a active resistance for Mopa
airport. The mainl reason is the land use. India still remain a largely
agrarian economy “says analyst Ratan Shrivastava of business research
and consulting firm “ Frost and Sullivan” If you are trying to build an
airport in a place with cultivable land then you have a big problem.
The isssue for local resident is not the relatively minor dificulty of
noise,; it is alomost one of the survival. Mopa area has farms on the
land that needed for the airport, the compulsory acquisition will
deprive farmers of their livelihood- Though farmers receive the purchase
price for their land, they no longer have a way of making the living.
Most of these Goan farmers are still poor to fly, airport construction
does not elicit much support as a good thing for a common person. If
Mopa is built then people from the region will face round the clock
noise nuissance, air pollution,. their land will be taken forcibly,
hundreds of Goan families will be uprooted from their ancestral land for
the sake of the airport and development and will be displaced, to go no
where..,
The other solution available to the Goan people is to ask the Indian
Navy to move to Karwar and hand over the Dabolim airport to Goa. Instead
of pumping millions of rupees in the new airport Goa Govenement could
upgrade the Dabolim airport to International level. Dabolim airport
have many advantages: It is centrally located, the upgrade will cost
less to the Goan people, Land is available for further development, one
more landing track can easily be added to existing one. Railways line is
available next door and by using the existing infrastruture one can
easily develope metro type train going directly to and fro from the
airport to Vasco, Margao, Pernem, Curchorem, Canacona etc. It’s a
question of Vision, Wisdom, Volonté, Common Sense and Political Will.
Goa Governement should organise a referendum or opinion poll on this
major issue that has had divided the Goans. Once the opinion is given by
the Goan people, the Goa Governement will have the full legitimacy to
act according to the wishes of the people, and then take the project to
its logical conclusion. There will be no room for uproar, demonstration,
strikes, etc.
If Mopa airport is built then one day the Union Civil Aviation Ministry
will ask Goa Governement to close down the Dabolim airport inspite of
Goa Governement precondition not to close down the Dabolim airport.
There is a clear example that has had already happen to the State of
karnatak and AP-The current Government airport policy does not allow an
airport to come up within a 150-km radius of an existing airport. This
policy was one of the reasons cited for closure of the old airports in
Bangalore and Hyderabad when the new airports were opened there. Goan
please don’t follow blindly and believe these 40 idots (CM, Ministers
,MLAS and MP-s,) to make believe that Goa will have two airports. Hey
Goans you have to make a Choice either Mopa or Dabolim
Bruno Gomes , Switzerlande
