| ‘Tourism hampered in Goa by defence curbs’ |
| DHNS,Panaji: |
| GoaÂ’s deputy chief minister says the Navy should shift its airbase to INS Kadamba in Karwar to allow Goa the free use of Dabolim airport to expand its tourism. |
GoaÂ’s Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred De Souza says the state is set for a 10 per cent increase in foreign chartered traffic this coming tourist season, but the expansion of charter operations is being hindered by defence restrictions.
“We had 690 charters fly in here last season and are expecting 750 this year.
Unfortunately, there are already difficulties with the Navy in the number of landing slots being given to international chartered flights at Dabolim,” he told a media conference.
“We had 690 charters fly in here last season and are expecting 750 this year.
Unfortunately, there are already difficulties with the Navy in the number of landing slots being given to international chartered flights at Dabolim,” he told a media conference.
The NCP leader who The NCP leader who holds the tourism portfolio says he has alerted Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and the Union defence and tourism ministries to the problem and sought their intervention in the matter. The NavyÂ’s hold over Dabolim airport, from where it operates its largest airbase INS Hansa, is turning into a contentious political issue in Goa after the civil aviation ministryÂ’s clearance for a new international airport in north Goa.
Opposition to airport
Tourism stakeholders in south Goa are opposed to the new airport and have received the unstinted support of MPs and MLAs representing southern constituencies.
De Souza too says Dabolim should be retained for the stateÂ’s use.
“If the Navy shifts its operations to Karwar, we will have enough space to put up a parallel runway of international standards,” he said.
Forty per cent of charter arrivals in the last season were from Britain, nine percent each from Germany and the Scandinavian countries and six per cent from Russia.
International flights to Dabolim are allowed landing only over the weekends because of defence operations. No night landings have been permitted, despite assurances for such clearances in the past. The restrictions have hampered the growth of charter traffic from Europe specifically, says De Souza. http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep172005/national1720192005916.asp
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