[Goanet] Two planes escape collision narrowly at Goa airport
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * Renew your wedding vows in Goa, or gift a Ceremony Package to a close couple Multiple options to make your day extra special! http://www.renewalsetc.com As many as 356 passengers on board a Moscow-bound Trans-Aero flight had a narrow escape when the chartered aircraft brushed against the wings of another plane at Goa's Dabolim airport Sunday afternoon, officials said. The incident occurred at 2.30 p.m., when the Moscow-bound flight was on the runway, readying for the take-off, they said. The flight's right wing brushed against the tail wing of another chartered flight from Britain, the officials said. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200811161801.htm
[Goanet] Off topic: Review of IIM Review
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ANKA SERVICES For all your Goa-based media needs - Newspapers and Electronic Media Newspaper Adverts, Press Releases, Press Conferences www.ankaservices.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] Check out this review of the IIM Review Committee (IRC's) report: IIM Review: Settling for second best? 10 Nov, 2008 Philip S. Thomas It may be worth recalling the perceptive words of a former HBS Dean: 'All B-schools can and do teach by the case method. But they will rarely engage in case research for classroom purposes.' This simply underscores the essential inimitability of the [HBS] Case Method. It is like Toyota's 55 year old paradigmatic production system. A call to emulate the core competence of the Case Method would have been consistent with a search for excellence and, therefore, most commendable. Instead IRC has played safe and settled for second best. http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/3093.article Any comments in the context of Goa's hope for a new IIM would be appreciated.
[Goanet] Things to watch out for
'Make the new airports more user-friendly' Ashwini Phadnis http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/11/03/stories/2008110350980600.htm The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its report on the functioning of private airports and related issues, has found certain areas that need immediate attention, including the fact that passengers at greenfield airports have to pay exorbitant prices for food items...Besides there is no canteen for the employees and staff working at these airports, ... The Committee has not only mentioned that the parking charges for vehicles are heavy at these airports, but also expressed surprise at finding that, at Hyderabad, a vehicle entering the airport to drop or pick up a passenger has to pay Rs 35 per tripThe Committee is also of the considered view that the HAL and Begumpet airports be made operational for domestic civil aviation.
[Goanet] Goanet Oct. Stats: Top 27 makes 80% of the total posts
readers on Goanet lists ... are often in read-only mode. FN Any Goanet statistics on which this observation is based? Cheers.
[Goanet] Article on REAL low cost aviation?
Pls check out the following link in which there are a couple of references to Goa: Towards REAL Low Cost Aviation 24 Oct, 2008 By Philip S. Thomas http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/3083.article Your comments and suggestions would be deeply appreciated.
[Goanet] Who says civil enclaves are dumps?
'Super jumbo' touches down at Begumpet ...Belying apprehensions about the runway length required to accommodate it, the A-380 took a little over 500 metres to come to a halt before being taxied to tarmac...[Comments:] Looks like the Begumpet (old civil enclave) runway held up well in the landing. The lesson is clear: Dont give up Dabolim civil enclave without a tough (intellectual) fight. Trash those new fangled journo reports about old civil enclaves being dumps. ATCs, the unsung heroes of air show http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/ATCs_the_unsung_heroes_of_air_show/articleshow/3620983.cms According to Air Traffic Control (ATC) authorities, beginning October 12 till October 19, there were 320 arrivals and 316 departures. Put together, they make up what is called in aviation parlance a total traffic movement of 636 - a record of sorts. And a total of 34 aircraft participated in the show. Of this, landings and takeoffs by helicopters accounted for 121. It was the responsibility of the ATC to ensure that all landings and takeoffs were smooth. The period covered is slightly longer than the 4 days of the air show itself. Maybe to include the arrival of the participating aircraft. At Dabolim the ATC is in the hands of the Navy unlike Begumpet (and HAL Bangalore) where civilians man the tower(s). And, there was a report about chaos (IFFI Goa style?!) on the last day of the show. Begumpet is very centrally located unlike the new airport at Shamshabad.
[Goanet] Goa may be reinventing the wheel
Thursday, July 30, 1998 A project in peril R K Mattoo http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19980730/21150894.html The NAA said that once the new international airport came up, it would withdraw all its infrastructure from the HAL airport. In a subsequent letter dated May 1, 1995, the Centre said all commercial operations of national and foreign carriers and cargo activities would be shifted to the new airportThe committee was also asked to examine the exclusivity of the new airport vis-a-vis the existing airports at Bangalore HAL, Yelahanka and Jakkur...The HAL Airport was to continue and to be made available to smaller aircraft (up to 52-seat capacity), for short haul operations (excluding state capitals and international airports), training, emergency, VIP flights etc. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) operating responsibility andequipment were to continue to rest with the AAI...The [Tata] consortium in its report made three points: a. There is no perceptible change in project cost.b. The project cannot be pruned down as it would affect quality of services.c. It will be difficult to make the project viable pegging aeronautical charges at 25 per cent of the AAI's future charges. The economic unsuitability of the project made the Tatas announce a few months ago that they had pulled out of the project.. This 10 year old story needs careful study, updating (for Bangalore) and replication in the context of Goa (i.e. Dabolim and Mopa).
[Goanet] Pitfalls and challenges of new airports
Praful Patel's pat for Hyderabad airport http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/17/stories/2008101759750800.htm HYDERABAD: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said that the manner in which the new Hyderabad and Bangalore airports came up within a period of three years did not happen in very advanced countries. Local and environmental issues were a big obstacle to infrastructure building. However, airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore overcame these problems, he said inaugurating the international conference on `Indian aviation : scaling new heights' as part of India Aviation 2008 here on Thursday. .. What the minister fails to mention is that the tearing hurry on the part of the developers may have been due to his concession of the closure of the busy civil enclaves in these two places. Who would want to miss that window of opportunity? Local issues may be a euphemism for ground transport or airport access problems. These remain severe especially in Bangalore and cast a pall on the crash bang approach to the airport construction mentioned above. They raise the whole issue of putting up greenfield airports in india by closing civil enclaves. The government does not seem to have learned this lesson at the centre or in a state like Goa. M. Madhavan Nambiar, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said recovery of investment on new airports was the biggest challenge of the government. This underlines the whole problem and serves to show that despite the Minister's big talk, airport development in India has been goofed up badly. Is the Goa government listening?
[Goanet] Who will champion low cost aviation?
BJP accuses UPA of being insensitive to aviation sector http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/002200810180324.htm Accusing the UPA Government of consistent insenstivity towards the civil aviation sector and its personnel, the BJP on Friday said the present dispensation had also frittered away the gains made by the erstwhile NDA regime. The era of low cost aviation gifted by the BJP-led NDA government to the country has been slaughtered, killing the industry overnight, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in a statement here. Among the policy measures initiated by NDA, Rudy listed reducing ATF excise duty from 16 per cent to 8 per cent, rationalising landing charges, removing IATT and FTT, launch of low cost airlines demolishing the then prevailing cartel, authorising private airlines to go international, building fair competition and inducing large employment opportunities. Other measures include revision of the charter policy, modernisation of metro airports and clearing Greenfield airports, Rudy claimed. These steps induced an average growth of over 15 per cent to 40 per cent both in international and domestic sectors correspondingly since 2003, which has now been completely hacked, Rudy alleged. The BJP said the aviation sector had seen negative growth of upto 16 per cent and swallowing of low-cost airlines by full-cost airlines one by one during the UPA regime. The government is contemplating a bail package without any counter assurance of affordable tickets and secured employment, Rudy said. To my knowledge it was Ananthakumar of the BJP who had propounded the idea of the democratisation of civil aviation apparently based on the experience of pioneering low cost carrier Southwest Airlines. It was apparently his idea of two airports for Bangalore (HAL plus a new greenfield one) which complicated the Bangalore aviation scenario. http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19980730/21150894.html Be that as it may, it is necessary to figure out how the aviation scene in Goa will shape up. There are still no champions of low cost aviation here given the chronic tendency to view this economic function from the limited perspective of charter flights which average just a handful daily, that too on a seasonal basis. Occasionally one also hears about the need for direct flights for Goans in the Gulf. But there is still no appreciation of the need for low cost domestic air travel for Goans (not to mention the domestic tourists, VFRs, business people and hub travellers who make up the bulk of passenger numbers at Dabolim civil enclave which has reached congestion levels since 2004). Like Ananthakumar in Bangalore a decade ago Goa is also supposedly opting for a two airport system. But no headway has been made so far to configure the system in a non-partisan way to viably meet the long term needs of domestic and international air travel to and from Goa which has illusions of being a world class destination. It is hard to understand why Goa is unable to learn from experience instead of making practically a virtue of ignorance a la the bottoms-up ostrich.
[Goanet] Who says civil enclaves are dumps?
'Super jumbo' touches down at Begumpet http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/17/stories/2008101758550200.htm HYDERABAD: The gentle green giant has finally made its landing in the fast growing city of Hyderabad. The much talked about A-380, the largest passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus has lived up to the expectations. Spanning 80 m from left to right, 73m from head to tail, the sheer size of the aircraft bemused the audience when it landed at the Begumpet airport here on Thursday. And the airport authorities welcomed the super jumbo with water cannons gushing from two sides, while everyone clapped and cheered. But for a couple of Boeing 777 aircraft, every other aircraft was dwarfed in its presence. The four-class accommodation will enable it to carry a little over 500 passengers, but is has a capacity for 850 passengers in a single class module. Appearing on the horizon at 12.06 noon, the magnificent aircraft took about 15 minutes to land at the airport at 12.21 noon and people watched with awe its descent on to the runway. Belying apprehensions about the runway length required to accommodate it, the A-380 took a little over 500 metres to come to a halt before being taxied to tarmac. This demonstrates the versatility of the environment friendly aircraft, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel who wanted the Air India as well as other private airlines to look at acquiring environment friendly and fuel efficient aircraft like the A-380. Airbus chief operating officer, customers, John Leahy said the aircraft was designed for countries like India where it could carry more people with less injection and low fuel consumption. The aircraft was quieter in that its noise levels were less than half of the older 747 models. It is not the length of the runway which is critical for the super-jumbo but its thickness (and, of course, the width). Looks like the Begumpet (old civil enclave) runway held up well in the landing. The lesson is clear: Dont give up Dabolim civil enclave without a tough (intellectual) fight. Trash those new fangled journo reports about old civil enclaves being dumps.
[Goanet] How places morph
Terminal velocity Geoff Hiscock tests the efficient new Bangalore airport, entry point to India's Silicon Valley http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24460995-5002031,00.html SIXTY years ago, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru called Bangalore the city of the future. Certainly its metamorphosis from sleepy South India garrison town to a pivotal role as the world's back office has been one of the defining stories in India's transition to modernity. But there has been a cost. The leafy pensioners' paradise of old, blessed with a cool climate courtesy of its 900m altitude, has given way to a rambunctious, high-speed, high-priced city of seven million, its infrastructure groaning at the seams HAL's only saving grace was a location just 10km east of the city centre. That's why the opening of a new international airport at the end of May carried great expectations, even though its location 40km north of Bangalore and 70km from the hi-tech action around Electronics City, well to the south, brought grumbles about a long commute...It's still a lengthy commute, of course: 50 minutes to my northside hotel at night and about an hour each for two daytime trips. No such luck for southside users: they are looking at 75-120 minutes, depending on traffic congestion...By 2012, Bangalore may well have a functioning rapid transit system. But for now it's just an annoying work-in-progressNote for the future: the Oberoi Group will open a 320-room hotel at the airport by late 2009. Work on a high-speed rail link from the city centre may start next year.
[Goanet] Brain cells begin a workout
One more comment (from an Indian supposedly in Montreal) has appeared in the ET article on 'Goa's airport needs urgent expansion'. It is as follows:In the final analysis two considerations must override any other: national defence and long term civil aviation development strategy. From both considerations a new airport capable of expansion in phases to meet long-term traffic demand forecast would seem a must. Sub-regional considerations in a relatively small State like Goa should have little relevance. [6 Oct, 2008 2050hrs IST] http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinions/3559253.cms#top0 I tried to respond saying that it is high time India went in for Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) since the problem at air bases including civil enclaves is a national, not just a local, one. But it does not seem to have been accepted. Does any one have any suggestions regarding the point in the above snippet about 'sub-regional considerations in a relatively small state like Goa'? It gives the impression that Goa is a soft target for arbitrary central government decision making in military and civil aviation matters. _ Search for videos of Bollywood, Hollywood, Mollywood and every other wood, only on Live.com http://www.live.com/?scope=videoform=MICOAL
[Goanet] Plug for BRAC -- barely
I just about managed to squeeze in a plug for BRAC (due to length limits) in the following comments on an article in rediff. Need for a balanced view by philip thomas on Oct 10, 2008 02:22 PM The word bailout may be a misnomer. ATF prices are too high due to crazy taxes. The price should be adjusted downwards according to international benchmarks. Besides competing modes like rail and bus benefit from subsidised diesel resulting in loss of short haul traffic to trains and buses. Apart from the price factor there is the waste factor regarding fuel. This is due to restricted airspace which results in circuitous routes. At least 15% of operating cost can be saved on this account. Waste is also due to slot restrictions at civil enclaves which results in congestion, circling in holding patterns and queuing for take-off in the network. Then there is waste on capital account. Airports are built in remote locations with concessions to close busy civil enclaves. Not only do these airports become costly due to add-ons like user development fees for passengers, airlines,retailers etc but there is a great need to invest in high speed surface transport links. The cost of disrupting convenient though congested airports is rarely considered. Airline schedules go for a toss because some carriers drop flights but others are unable to fill the gap. Aircraft utilisation decreases increasing airline costs. All this is antithetical to low cost connectivity by air which is the need of the hour in India. Our competitiveness in low cost carriers vis a vis China etc deteriorates. Why airlines are unable to make such arguments is difficult to fathom. We need U.S.style BRAC urgently. http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/oct/10air.htm In a reply and my rejoinder the following has appeared: Re: Need for a balanced view by RAJESH MEHTA on Oct 10, 2008 05:49 These airlines give 5-10 times high salaries to their staff compared to officers in goverment organisations. They stay in Five staff hotels and now they want a bailout from poor tax payers money. Can't these airlines reduce such stupid costs rather then asking for a bailout. Re: Re: Need for a balanced view by philip thomas on Oct 10, 2008 07:48 PM The cost of ATF has to be reduced by the government. The subsidisation of diesel for A/C travel has to be stopped by government. The air space restrictions have to be lifted by the government. The slot restrictions at civil enclaves have to be lifted by the government. The closure of civil enclaves as concessions to new airport developers has to be stopped -- by government. The slot utilisation for sustaining connectivity has to be ensured by government. Developing a competitive advantage in low cost aviation has to be actively promoted by government. Let's get real, OK?
[Goanet] Brain cells begin a workout
Goa's aviation imbroglio seems to be grabbing the attention of some thought leaders in the industry. Robey Lal is the former Country Manager of IATA. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/usrmailcomment.cms?msid=3559253[EMAIL PROTECTED]mailon_commented=1Goa airport needs urgent expansion Philip Thomas,Goa,says:When will AAI realise that its mission at Dabolim airport in Goa is not to razzle dazzle all and sundry but to survive against insidious pressures to close it, whether by design (a la the Union Cabinet Resolution of 2000) or, even more dangerously, by default (through bull-in-the-china-shop decisions of well meaning politicians) and the stealth manoeuvres of its military 'host'? It should concentrate its energies on getting another airport in Goa right viz which does not defeat the above purpose. 5 Oct 2008, 0948 hrs IST Robey Lal,New Delhi,says:Construction of a new airport, on a PPP basis, for serving commercial air traffic, should be top priority for the Government of Goa. It is hightime that local interests stopped haggling over the site, North or South Goa. Either location will help the economy, albeit some more than others. Alternately, not having the airport will not help anyone. Meanwhile, at the existing airport the Navy must instructed by the Central Government to provide the ATC and Safety services for keeping the airport open to civil air traffic round the clock, till the new airport is commissioned. And AAI should keep terminal services running 24x7. These will make more time slots available for flights to operate to Goa, thus increasing airport capacity by better use of the terminal and apron, since neither of them have the requisite area to expand in for any long term benefit, and a new airport will again be the call of the day in a few years. AAI provided Goa airport with Aeronautical Ground Lighting and navigational aids and safety equipment to operate 24 hours following an understanding reached with the Navy over 10 years ago, which the Navy ought to Honour. 5 Oct 2008, 0750 hrs IST Its debatable however whether Robey Lal's idea of 'either location ' or keeping Dabolim civil enclave open round the clock, 'till the new airport is commissioned' is meaningful in the Goa context. Goa government has opted for both airports. Lal's view may be coloured by being wedded to PPP as seen above. In this connection it must be pointed out that the present IATA chief himself takes a dim view of the experience with PPP in airports. The problems at Bangalore and Hyderabad (and to a lesser extent at Kochi where it all started in India) are there for all to see. But Lal does seem to echo our Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik's unhappiness with the Indian Navy's attitude at Dabolim. _ Search for videos of Bollywood, Hollywood, Mollywood and every other wood, only on Live.com http://www.live.com/?scope=videoform=MICOAL
[Goanet] Navy vs AAI (at Dabolim)
They are excuses, my friend, to continue to stay in loverly Goa. I had made similar observations a couple of years ago to an arrogant ex-Navy Goa-netter, who stated some bulldust that Goa had a unique position to monitor space..[Gabriel de Figueiredo] I too recall hearing something from the same guy about how flight training requires confidence building etc, mate. I thought then of how some of us first learn to drive a car in an open field or playground before getting on to a road with traffic. But that open field bit doesnt last for more than a session or two, right? And after all that, half the V/STOL fleet of Sea Harriers based in Goa has crashed in 20-25 years. Maybe because maintenenance and overhaul is elsewhere, i.e. at Kochi. And that 4K metre runway at Arrakonam is for helicopter training for heaven's sake! IAF has its own helicopter training base at Yelehanka which is giving the new Bangalore airport developers sleepless nights. What does the Navy need the jumbo jet runway at Dabolim for? As you suggest, maybe an Indian shuttle landing at a future date? Ha! Cheers.
[Goanet] Dubious distinction
Disputed industrial projects in India http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/msid-3557713.cms Goa SEZ Goa, famous for its beaches and tourist industry, in January dropped plans to build special economic zones for industry after protests from political and environmental groups.
[Goanet] Navy vs AAI (at Dabolim)
Indian Navy Not to Shift their Base from Goa http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=51831n_tit=Indian+Navy+Not+to+Shift+their+Base+from+Goa The Indian Navy will not shift their Goa base elsewhere as the **huge naval expansion plan at INS Hansa base is in the pipeline**top naval official said todayComdt Parhar snubbed allegations that that the Indian Navy is absolutely not posing any hurdle in expansion plan as it clearly understands the requirement of airport expansion. **Military airfield is military airfield*. It's difficult to be established elsewhere. Everything needs a space and here (in Goa) we have lot of plans, he said. Apparently disturbed with the negative media publicity to the Indian Navy over the airport expansion, Comdt Parhar said that they have a purpose to stay at that place. 'The purpose has not come just two days back. The land was groomed to the stage what you see today, Comdt Parhar added.He said that the **Indian Navy will continue contributing for the civil aviation movement on this airport.** The Naval officer pointed out that they have opened the airport for 24 hours operations curtailing the naval flying hours. **We do understand the requirement of tourism industry and hence we are not just looking after the military requirements**, he said. The Officer says, on the one hand that Military airfield is military airfield implying that no co-existence is possible. On the other hand he says We do understand the requirement of tourism industry and hence we are not just looking after the military requirements. He is trying to have it both ways. If the military can understand civilian aviation requirements there may be no reason why civilians cannot understand military requirements if it is shorn of mumbo jumbo subject to some undestandable secrecy considerations. Hence his argument is an entirely self serving one. I heard his explanation of why some new activities cannot be shifted to Karwar. He said that the airfield there could not be more than 4000 feet. Why that cannot suffice for helicopters, trainer aircraft and carrier based planes I am not able to fathom. The new aircraft carrier due in 2012, to be based in Karwar, is only about 700 (seven hundred) feet in length! Training activities should be shifted to Karwar. Helicopter training is already being done in Arrakonam (near Chennai) which has a humungous runway, for crying out aloud. Dabolim can continue to be used for transport aircraft which may need long runways. MiG 29Ks should be based in Karwar but should be able to make sorties to Dabolim on a flexible air space basis. Dabolim ATC can then be handed back to civilians. Military flight training including on MiG29KUBs should be wound down at Dabolim at the earliest. There is need for an Indian Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) exercise to rationalise air bases in the country and relieve civil enclaves of onerous loads like flight training in the urgent interests of low cost connectivity in a large and topographically challenging country like India and an aesthetically attractive (and peaceful) region like the Konkan.
[Goanet] Carriers queue up to develop cargo hubs [ET]
Domestic carriers queue up to develop dedicated cargo hubs http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Air lines__Aviation/Domestic_carriers_queue_up_to_develop_dedicated_cargo_hubs/a rticleshow/3537757.cms Kingfisher Airlines is looking at Goa and Banglaore as potential locations while Jet Airways is eyeing at Hyderabad and Bangalore. National Aviation Company of India (NACIL), in which Indian Airlines and Air India have merged, was originally looking at Nagpur, but the state-run airline is also looking at other centres including Delhi. Deccan Cargo Express Logistics Private Limited has already zeroed in at Nagpur. Capt Gopinath's Deccan has signed a memorandum of understanding with state government authorities to develop its cargo hub. Carriers such as SpiceJet and IndiGo are also in the process of identifying locations for their cargo hubs. GoAir has also plans to start dedicated cargo airline based out of Mumbai. According to Tulsi Nowlakha Mirchandaney, managing director, Blue Dart Aviation, the economy is primarily driven by domestic consumption and therefore, the hub selection should be based on that. She said Chennai and Mumbai have potential to become as cargo hubs. Industry sources said the air cargo is growing faster (19%) than shipping (10%) and railways (9%). With shrinking passenger volumes and steady demand for air cargo, airlines are looking to bolster their cargo operations by setting up separate cargo airlines to serve the growing market. Airlines are hiring specialized staff for their cargo operations and are also considering the conversion of passenger airplanes into freighter airplanes into freighter aircraft, said Ernst Young report on aviation titled The tough will get going - New paradigms for success in Indian aviation. The report said the impact of rising costs on air cargo volumes has not been drastic. This is largely due to the non-availability of close substitutes of the air cargo services. Additionally, airlines, which are incurring huge losses due to decrease in passenger traffic, can diversify their revenue bases by ramping up their cargo operations, the report pointed out. An airline official said the carriers are busy in finding locations for their cargo hubs as they have realized that cargo revenues will become one of the main stays for an airline in the coming days. These centres will act as a sorting warehouses and cargo will be allocated according to various airports. Airlines are also developing capabilities to handle perishable cargo, he said. The potential of air freight cargo in the country is huge, considering that India currently moves only 1% of this freight by air, as opposed to the global average of 2%, according the Ernst Young report. The country's air freight is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6%, with the growth in international air freight set to outpace growth in domestic volumes by almost 2% on an average, it said. Besides scheduled carriers, as is reported in these pages earlier, other Indian companies are looking to tap the growing demand for movement of cargo by air. Domestic freight traffic increased to 423.43 tonne between April and December, up 8.1% from a year ago, according to Airports Authority of India (AAI). Bangalore-based Quikjet Cargo Airlines, Hyderabad-based Flyington Freighters, Mumbai-based Avicore Aviation and New Delhi-based Aryan Cargo Express are also drawing up plans to enter the market. Its good to know that somebody is thinking of Goa as an air cargo hub. The problem is to sort out the potentials in this business as between Dabolim civil enclave and Mopa airport. There should be a clear demarcation of roles as to primary or secondary. This in turn will have to be based on the roles envisaged for the two airports as a whole. The roles have to be set for 5-10 years from the start of Mopa operations. The design and phasing of Mopa will depend on this as will financing and ownership stakes. The Goa govt has to get up to speed quickly in aviation matters instead of thinking that it doesnt have to do much and can relax. The long term future of Goa is inextricably tied to aviation decisions and they cannot be abdicated without putting it (Goa's future) at serious risk.
[Goanet] Closing the stable doors ...
Task cut out for BIAL House panel BANGALORE: Has Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) fully utilised the 4,000 acres allotted to it? Can the excess land, if any, be withdrawn? Why did the airport project cost shoot up from Rs 1,350 crore to Rs 2,700 crore? These are some of the posers which the 21-member House Committee have for BIAL and will seek answers for over the next three months. The Committee, headed by Chickpet MLA Hemachandra Sagar,which has been set up by the State Government to probe into the alleged violation of terms and conditions by BIAL during the airport's construction, has 15 terms of reference, including various MoUs and agreements signed by the stakeholders.According to the detailed notification issued by the Secretary, Legislative Assembly, the Committee will look into the Airport Authority of India's (AAI's) report to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on capacity constraints. **It will also probe as to why despite providing tax exemptions to the tune of several crores and free water and power supply, the airport is sub-standard?** Other terms of reference include passenger facilities at the airport, absence of VIP lounge, outsourcing of the taxi services to private operators and permission for construction of second terminal at the airport. It will also make recommendations on how to give a facelift to the airport in line with other international airports. Fourteen MLAs who are members of the committee include N Yogesh Bhat, Veeranna Charanthimatt, M Srinivas, C N Ashwath Narayan, M V Nagaraj, N S Nandish Reddy, S R Vishwanath, D K Shivakumar,V Srinivas Prasad, Qamarul Islam,M B Patil,N L Narendra Babu, H D Revanna and H C Balakrishna.The six MLCs are: K C Kondaiah, Munivenkatareddy, Manohar Maski, Thontadarya, Abdul Azim and M C Nadagoud. The House Committee will examine the following: * MoU signed between KSIIDC and AAI:May 1999. * Bidders asked to give detailed project report: November 8, 2000. * Siemens-led consortium selected by Government of Karnataka: October 29, 2001. * Share holders' agreement: January 20, 2002. * Concession agreement between Government of India, Government of Karnataka and BIAL: July 5, 2004. *State support agreement between Government of Karnataka and BIAL: January 20, 2005. * Land lease agreement between Government of Karnataka and BIAL: January 20, 2005. * EPC contracts with Siemens Germany, LT and Siemens India: March 11, 2005. *Operation and management services agreement between BIAL and Unique Zurich:April 8, 2005. * CNS/ATM agreement between BIAL and AAI:April 6, 2005. *Land lease deeds signed between BIAL and KSIIDC:April 30, 2005. * Extension of shareholders agreement: June 10, 2005. * SBI guarantee to BIAL on state support of Rs 350 crore: June 22, 2005. * Declaration of financial closure by ICICI Bank: June 23, 2005. The best way to avoid this kind of recrimination at Mopa is for the Goa govt to take a hands on approach to the project right from inception (design and planning) all the way to completion and gradually easing up during operation. Not completely though because it has to ensure that Dabolim civil enclave does not close by default (i.e. some oversight on its part) for the next 10 years. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. No room here for sosegadd or whatever.
[Goanet] Goa and Aviation
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) held its first management development program (MDP) in Aviation Management this week. I was invited by the coordinator, Prof G. Raghuram a transportation authority, who holds the Indian Railways chair at IIMA (and who wrote a path-breaking management case on Konkan Railway Corp), to share my perpspective on Goa's aviation scene with the participants during one session. The participants numbered almost 40 and were drawn from airports, airlines and companies operating in the sector. Some international airlines were also represented. My presentation was on Indian aviation's civilian-military interface. It ended by drawing attention to the problem of implementing a two airport solution (an upgraded Dabolim civil enclave as well as a greenfield airport in Mopa) in Goa. I was glad to have an opportunity of meeting a number of interesting participants especially over a group dinner that evening. There was Frederick Joseph Vaz of NACIL who was very familiar with Goanet. He hoped Goans would get involved constructively in aviation matters. Uday Bhan Singh is the Manager of Kingfisher Airlines sales in Goa. He has been involved with Goa since 1995. Harish Kutty of Air Arabia said they have clearance to operate at Dabolim from 2009. He would like to expedite the start if possible. There was a large contingent of AAI airport directors from various places including some who had left to join privatised airports. The former appreciated the truth of my hard hitting remarks and said they were broadly applicable to the nearly 30 civil enclaves in India. One of the observers present at the instance of the co-ordinator was a participant from another IIMA MDP, Vineet Sharma, who worked in the Coast Guard in Goa and his wife his Goan. Among the IIMA faculty in the program there was Prof Sebastian Morris, an economist, who is on the recently appointed Policy Advisory Group of the Goa government. He will be in Goa in this connection on Oct 3. Meanwhile, in an informal chat afterwards, Prof Raghuram assured me that he would take up the points I made, in the Civil Aviation Ministry's committee on airline finances, of which he is a member. All in all it was a very gratifying experience for me personally. I am sure that Goa's aviation experience will now provide a lot of food for thought in national circles for years to come. It's up to the people of Goa to give it the shape required, as and when possible, for the state's benefit, in the national and global context.
[Goanet] Out in left field
India Inc shocked over remarks by Fernandes New Delhi: Industry on Tuesday reacted with shock and horror over remarks by Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes that lynching of a CEO in Noida on Monday should serve as a warning to managements. I am shocked over the minister's comments, FICCI President Rajeev Chadrashekar said reacting to Fernandes' remarks that simmering discontent among the workers was a reason behind the killing of the CEO of Italian company Graziano Transmissioni L K Chaudhury in Greater Noida. Nobody has the blanket permit to take law and order into their hands, even going to the extent of murdering a person. Such acts need to be strongly condemned, ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said. Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani said the murder cannot be condoned. He said, passing on the buck and giving a different spin is totally not on. There is nothing in the world that can justify lynching of any person and no dispute can be settled by murdering an adversary, CII Northern Region Head Salil Singhal said. Fernandes in controversial remark said, This should serve as a warning for the managements. It is my appeal to the managements that the workers should be dealt with compassion. The Minister said, there are disparities in the wages of permanent employees and contract workers. The workers should not be pushed so hard that they resort to whatever happened in Noida. © Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1669018
[Goanet] Curse of industrial violence [ET]
The clobbering to death of the CEO of a Greater Noida-based Indian subsidiary of an Italian auto components company is, doubtless, a grave criminal act. There should be no hesitation in punishing workers allegedly responsible for Lalit Kishore Chaudhury's death, under relevant provisions of Indian criminal law, if found guilty. It would, however, be thoroughly misplaced to take a narrow legalistic view of violent industrial disputes. **The tendency to seek resolution of such disputes through violence - which pervades virtually all nooks and crannies of Indian society and is not unique to industrial situations - is an expression of dysfunctional institutions, and a perverse public culture that underpins them.** But to the extent that industrialisation is meant to engender social modernity, it is in the fitness of things that a beginning in that direction is made at modern production facilities. The absence of functional mechanisms to address workers' grievances is bound to lead to more flare-ups like the one at Greater Noida. But a functional mechanism of grievance redressal cannot be based on current labour laws, which do not accord with the contemporary logic of production. **Companies must be allowed more flexibility than they currently enjoy in hiring and dispensing with labour. But legislation for flexible hiring and retrenchment of labour must have built-in mandatory provisions for social safety nets. But for that to truly materialise, workers must be envisaged as serious stakeholders in the industrialisation process.** Trade unions can serve precisely that purpose. A union which is able to effectively negotiate a just distribution of surplus into wages and profits without subverting the contemporary logic of production would facilitate both vertical equity and productivity. That would not only confer on it the credibility of an effective dispute redressal mechanism but also make it into a legitimate vehicle for changing public culture at large. Clearly, labour law reform and enforcement of civilised labour standards reinforce, rather than contradict, each other. Trade unions must be envisioned as institutional mechanisms that would bring that about. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Curse_of_industrial_violence/art icleshow/3519765.cms
[Goanet] Bangalore airport heading for trouble?
Bangalore int'l airport heading for bankruptcy By Faye D'Souza/CNBC-TV18 http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/bangalore-intl-airport-headi ng-for-bankruptcy/20/20/352054 It does seem like the Semiens, LT, and Zurich airports consortium that built the Bengaluru International Airport is headed for trouble. BIAL said it would be bankrupt in a few years if it were not allowed to charge domestic passengers a user development fee every time they fly out of BangaloreBIAL officials said **they needs to recover the Rs 2,500 crore invested in the airport in the first five years**. The user development fee is an integral part of their recovery plan. The airport is also under tremendous pressure to expand capacity and the money raised from the fee surcharge will be pumped back into the project. It would be challenging for the consortium to raise more funds from their investors if the project is not showing returns. Note that the time to breakeven is set for a mere 5 years when the concession may be for 30 years, renewable for another 30! This is what happens when an airport project is treated as a business rather than as infrastructure for the public. For Mopa the government should ensure that the time to break even is at least 10 years. User charges should kick in only after that to fund any expansion. It needs to find a consortium which is interested in Goa rather than just making money.
[Goanet] IAF pulls its rug under Bangalore
Bial's second runway proposal irks IAF: The air force objects to proposed location of the runway, saying proximity to its airbase may affect operations Tarun Shukla http://www.livemint.com/2008/09/18232153/Bial8217s-second-runway-pro.html?h= B New Delhi: Bangalore's new airport, already buffeted by a court case and controversy over closure of the city-side airport it replaced, has hit another roadblock ahead of a much-needed expansion. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has objected to the location of a proposed second runway saying it may be too close to its airbase nearby affecting operations. A civil aviation ministry official termed IAF's objections unacceptable and said it would be asked to re-examine its decision. Among India's top five airports by traffic, the new Bengaluru International Airport is facing public interest litigation in the Karnataka high court over alleged congestion during peak hours. The litigants, including a local citizens' group in Bangalore, argue that a capital-intensive asset such as the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)-run old airport, which has been closed for commercial traffic since late May, shouldn't be allowed to close, especially given the long commute time to the new airport. The new airport, run by Bangalore International Airport Ltd, or Bial, is some 30km north-east of Bangalore, and was predicated on the old airport not competing with it. Over the past few months, under growing criticism, the civil aviation ministry had asked Bial to speed up the process of second phase of expansion and match the overcapacity gaps it found in a study of the new airport. This meant that Bial would need to create a temporary express terminal building next to the existing terminal before a new runway and terminal can come up to the south of the current runway. Construction work for the new runway, Bial says, is expected to start in July and finish in about three-four years. Planning and design of the runway is under way. Locating the new runway to the south of the airport campus, spread over 4,000 acres, will mean restrictions on planes using the new runway because their flight path may stray into the airspace reserved for IAF's airbase at Yelahanka close by. **The base is mostly used for helicopter training.** ...we cannot come to the south as four miles (from the existing runway) is Yelahanka airspace. What we are telling is that a runway closer to Yelahanka will mean further restrictions, a senior air traffic control official at Airports Authority of India said, asking not to be identified. Bangalore airspace has to be carefully managed, the official said, after three large airspace corridors have emerged in the city, short distance of each other: that of the Bial airport, the old HAL airport and the Yelahanka airbase. In addition, the city hosts an airstrip on its northern suburbs that handles private planes and hobby aviation enthusiasts. **Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, or DGCA, had proposed that IAF shift its operations to the HAL airport, which is mostly unused except for charter, private and important [VIP?] aircraft movements.** But, IAF has rejected that request. We are not shifting Yelahanka, said vice chief of air staff air marshal P.V. Naik, adding IAF wanted the new runway, which will nearly double the capacity of the airport, to be built north of the existing one. **The airport operator said it had been granted all clearances including those for the second runway as part of the original airport master plan finalized in 2004 but is currently in talks to arrive at a solution after the reservations made by IAF.** The runways of the airbase at Yelahanka and those of our airport are absolutely parallel. Nevertheless, the air traffic management is coordinated. For this reason, **(IAF) had worked out an integrated airspace management plan which was the basis for its NOC (no-objection certificate) for our project, a Bial spokeswoman said.** Since its launch in May, the Bengaluru International Airport has had more than 2.42 million passengers pass through it and carriers such as Dragon Air, Tiger Airways, Oman Air and Air Mauritius have also started their operation recently. **The Union civil aviation ministry believes a new runway to the north of the airport is not feasible as it will require further acquisition of land.** Those (conditions) are not acceptable, a ministry official, who did not wish to be quoted, said, adding the ministry is asking IAF to relook at its stance. This is deja vu for us in Goa, right?
[Goanet] Analysis paralysis over a second airport
This is a story about the city of Sydney's second airport which keeps being talked about but nothing ever gets done to realise it. http://blogs.smh.com.au/urbanjungle/2008/09/sydneys_disappe.html Sydney's disappearing second airport The search for a second airport has become a great Sydney tradition. **For decades** those for and against a new **major airport** have fought their way across the political landscape. The battle field has been quiet for a while, but things are about to start up once again...The melancholy history of the search for a second airport is worth revisiting for a moment, because it suggests that when the smoke clears this time around, the forces of inertia might well triumph yet again...What do you think? Does Sydney need a **second major airport**? And if so, where? Posted by Michael Duffy September 18, 2008 12:30 PM The article itself is somewhat featureless especially for those alien to the Australian scene. The comments on it are however quite illuminating. But what is striking is that it has not been possible for some unknown reason for Australians to take out a real option on the second airport and dilate on it over time instead of just resorting to talk. Maybe its the power of incumbents viz the (private) owners of the first airport. As in the case of Goa the stumbling block may be the tendency to opt for a major airport instead of a willingness to start small and build up according to demand. Let's hope Goa can show the way at Mopa by being innovative and effective. .
[Goanet] What do we know about the Dabolim upgrade?
For two or three years we have been hearing about this upgrade. All we were told was that it would cost Rs 500 crores. Of late some information is trickling out regarding the elements involved. Still the picture is foggy. Part of thee reason for this is the lack of memory in the media. They just focus on events without drawing on any files for some perspective. Its left to the reader to try and make sense of what is happening. And who has the time for this? Anyway, to get back to the current problem, Dabolim airport's passenger terminal is in two sections, domestic and international. Two or three years ago there was a plan to convert the present international into another domestic terminal and construct a new international terminal parallel to the Highway. In today's TOI we hear about a plan to demolish the existing terminal building and about the construction of an integrated new terminal building for catering to domestic and international passengers. Thankfully this is not on the cards but some fear that plans for partial demolition of this building means the original plan is being cut drastically and objections are being raised to this eventuality. The upgrade also involves expansion of aircraft parking bays (including aero-bridges), a parallel taxiway, a multi-storied car park etc etc. We dont have the foggiest idea of this supposedly complex plan and how it meshes with Navy's airport territory and what will be the effect on the design of Mopa airport. To add to the confusion, it has been mentioned (in support of the partial demolition option) that one of the terminal buildings (which one?) is only 7 or 8 years old which would date it to 2000 or 2001. That's on or after the time when the original intent was to close Dabolim civil enclave when Mopa came up. Then there is the vague recollection that there was a plan for Dabolim's upgrade in 2003 in the NDA regime (about which the North Goa MP should know something as he was Minister of State in Finance then). So the bottom line is that there is a crying need for total clarity on what's going on. Who will step up and do the needful? What a sorry state of affairs. Phew!
[Goanet] Negative spin for ulterior motives?
On the front page of TOI is the following plain vanilla report: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Dabolim_expansion_likely_from_Dece mber/rssarticleshow/3491992.cms But inside there is a largish story by Ajay Thakur titled Turbulence in air on ground. With a sub-title which reads Goa's Dabolim airport can be a traveller's nightmare and inserts like Its a big parking mess and Dabolim not passenger friendly the piece is a scathing account of Dabolim's glaring deficiencies. But it completely overlooks the fact that Dabolim's airport area of 1700 acres is of the same size as Bombay international airport. And the 10,000 foot runway is big enough to land jumbo jets. The reason for the mismatches cited in Dabolim passenger facilities is not mentioned at all. In fact there is no mention whatsoever that the facility is basically under Naval control and only nominally under AAI. Why this blindspot? Does it have to do with the client relations between TOI and the Navy? Is TOI doing its bit to stampede the people of Goa to opt for Mopa and get the civil enclave at Dabolim to close by default and revert to the Navy? This is the kind of national media conspiracy which is rampant on the subject of civil enclaves in general.
[Goanet] Policy wonk team to Goa's rescue
In fact this team of 15 members assembled by the Goa government has the grandiose mission to make Goa a First world state ( Experts to help chart Goa's future, TOI Sept 12). It seems to have a roughly even mix of insiders (8) and outsiders (7) but a predominance of public policy and finance academics and practitioners (votaries of PPP). There are some management academics and practitioners too besides a few from GOG. The members: Naseer Munjee (Chairman), Prof Om Mathur, Prof Sebastian Morris, Bhavna Bhatia, CII rep, Vishwajeet Kanwarpal, Cherian Thomas, JP Singh (Ch Secy), Sec'y Planning (Goa), S.Shanbhogue ( PPP Cell), GCCI Pres, Charles Correa, Edgar Ribeiro, Fr.Romuald, PFX D'Lima. Go Goa Goan!
[Goanet] All aboard for a royal ride
Mevyn say: 1) Let the contractors (and not the people of Goa) bear the burden of making the new airport profitable. 2) Two civilian airports is the dumbest of all ideas. 3) It's time the Indian Govt took a clue from Cuba who turned eight air force fields into international airports. Confucius say (well sort of): 1) There is no such thing as a free chowmein. 2) Necessity is the mother of invention 3) Dont hold your breath. Cheers.
[Goanet] All aboard for a royal ride
Goa will never get a proper airport if the decision is left to local politicians. The centre knows that if India is to develop, it requires massive expenditure on infrastructure. India desperately needs to build roads, airports and portsPersonally, I would put a lot more trust in the feasibility studies of private firms who stand to lose financially if their traffic projections are wrongthe people of Goa should be demanding that their tax money is used to provide basic electricity, water and medical services. Let private companies take the risk of spending ,mega bucks on an airport that may or may not be economically feasible. Mervyn, isnt it ironical that on the one hand you pour scorn on politicians' reliability while at the same time you subscribe fully to their presription for Mopa -- viz hand things over to contractors! Where exactly do you stand? Pls clarify. While you are at it pls spare a thought for the fate of Dabolim civil enclave, or is its long term survival not an over-riding concern for you?
[Goanet] Perils of training amidst residential localities
Plane crashes into Hyderabad residential area http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1662327 Hyderabad: A trainee pilot and an instructor were killed when a small aircraft crashed on to a residential area of the city Monday. The mishap took place in Sanathnagar neighbourhood minutes after the aircraft belonging to Andhra Pradesh Flying Club took off from Begumpet airport. Police said the instructor and the trainee pilot died in the crash. There were no casualties on the ground.
[Goanet] Deciding on airport(s') viability
Airport zone Facilities: Big opportunity for developers http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090850760600.htm Internationally, airports offer more than core aviation services. They are centres of hospitality, retail spaces, and even sometimes function as alternative central business districts for the cities they are located inissues such as lack of land availability, inadequate connectivity to airports, and other related issues are proving to be bottlenecks in the growth plansAs far as the core aviation functions are concerned, like India, even in other global markets, they are largely treated as aspects of public utility in terms of operations as well as economics and are, therefore, closely regulatedairport operators in the global market, however, have several avenues to earn higher returns by developing airport-enabled activities such as free trade zones and knowledge parks in the extended airport city components such as fuel costs, regulatory uncertainty regarding airport projects, and passenger growth remain some of the short- to medium-term concerns. In addition, since these projects are capital-intensive, the tight monetary regime raises financing concerns as well, ...domestic and international air traffic expanded at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively over 2002-07, driven by growth of low-cost carriers and the emergence of India as a business and tourist destination.These figures outstrip government forecasts of a CAGR of 6-7 per cent over the same period and have shown up the inadequacies of India's aviation infrastructure, said the report. It adds that airport developers are likely to see their projects achieve higher-than anticipated capacity utilisation in the early years of development. However, as airlines are forced to cut capacity on certain short-haul routes because of high oil prices, it could lead to lower traffic growth in the short term.On the regulatory side, returns from airport projects also depend on relevant operating agreements .. Since the viability of the airport business model depends on continued growth in air and cargo traffic, any negative change in the two are likely to impact the airport operators. Though traffic figures have been on a growth trajectory for a while, there have been short- to medium-term blips in the past, which reduce air traffic and cause losses for airport operators. In India, the report suggests, developers have had only positive surprises with respect to traffic growth. The privatisation process commenced in 2005, and returns for early investors have exceeded projections. However, this may not be the case for newer airport privatisation projects, where traffic growth expectations will be much higher from all bidders. ...airport development projects involve high capital expenditure. Edelweiss, in its analysis of the problems that airport operators in India could face in terms of capex, says each airport project is unique and there are no benchmarks of capital cost for different projects. In the high current inflation scenario, the possibility of cost overruns in these projects is high. The modernisation projects of the Mumbai and Delhi airports have already undergone upward revision in capex by as much as 50 per cent on account of material cost escalation and expansion in scope of projects. This risk is partly mitigated by government-mandated returns in the aviation charges. ..given the high capex involved, the projects are typically funded on a debt-to-equity ratio of between 1:1 and 3:1. The high debt component in projects entails a high rate of risk in the rising interest rate scenario. Airport projects have been trying to mitigate the costs by taking foreign currency loans at more competitive rates. As international airports typically have foreign currency receivables, they provide a natural foreign currency hedge against loan repayments. Comments: This otherwise sensible take has to be revamped for purposes of a project like Mopa. The vision of airport zones has to be held back for the long term (10-20 years down the line) instead of from Day One as far as Mopa is concerned. Similarly any idea of Mopa as an international airport. To begin with the focus has to be on aeronautic activity even while provision is made for long term growth and expansion. The traffic projections may have to be down graded from the recent explosive levels to traditional ones. This becomes accentuated by the need to keep Dabolim open on a sustained basis. Higher growth can be achieved by enabling low cost carriers to operate on new short haul routes. This requires keeping airport costs and charges low. The successful privatisations so far may be Delhi and Mumbai which have seen an explosion in traffic sustained somewhat by a regression to hub-to-hub traffic in the recent slump. The newer projects like Hyderabad and Bangalore may be struggling due to the collapse in short haul
[Goanet] Centre okays greenfield airport in Sindhudurg (ET)
The Centre on Thursday approved a domestic airport for Sindhudurg district, which borders Goa. The proposed greenfield airport would come within just about 100 km north of Goa's congested Dabolim airport - which is mainly for the navy... in response to the state government's proposal to set up a Rs 492-crore domestic airport at Sindhudurg through the public-private-partnership route...For the project, 271 hectares [670 acres] of non-agricultural land owned by the state government have already been identified. It is strange that no attempt was made during the past one year (since the ICAO okay for two airports in Goa) to recast Mopa airport along the lines of Sindhudurg even if the ultimate objective for Mopa was an international airport of 1800 acres. It shows the unfortunate extent of rigidity in the civil aviation ministry's and Goa government's thinking which does not bode well for mega projects. This should have been easy given the ready availability of computer software for assessing numerous options nowadays. It also poses questions about the applicability of the 150 km separation rule. If Mopa was subject to that (as a result of which the Cabinet resolution was passed in 2000) then why not Sindhudurg? Why was Mopa slated to be an international airport way back in 1998/2000 when Dabolim was (and still is) only getting charter flights that too averaging a few flights per day and that too during season. There are no scheduled international direct flights worth speaking of. The only aim seems to have been to hand Dabolim civil enclave back to the military (as was done in Kochi and subsequently in Bangalore and Hyderabad) if not by fiat then by default (due to the natural shift of airlines to a better and hopefully well connected airport in Mopa). The Sindhudurg plan opens the way for a more convenient (domestic) airport for Bangalore (assuming HAL stays closed) located just across the border in Karnataka. Goa government needs to pull up its socks and apply its mind to these issues for Goa's sake.
[Goanet] Another echo in ET
Some time back I was upbraided for rewording chaotic democracy as functioning anarchy. Here is confirmation of my choice of terminology by ET which had recently echoed (by coincidence or intent) my phrase eyeopener in a positive vein in connection with Delhi airport's new runway. Anarchic republic of India http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorials/Anarchic_republic_of_India/ar ticleshow/3445847.cms If one remembers correctly, a while ago some enterprising soul, who takes matters nomenclatural rather seriously, had filed a case as to why the Constitution still claimed we were a 'sovereign socialist secular republic'. That gentleman, it seems was most offended by the socialist part. Quite right. When we've given up all pretence, why bother with the nameplate at all? And then, one might, with equal lucidity, enquire into the accuracy of the other bits as well. Indeed, perhaps we should just call ourselves an anarchist republic, given the comfort we extract from **chaos**. For, what else can explain our **normality** even as we witness a massive flood, yet another communal riot, and a few odd states still wanting to secede. But then, we revel in cutting off and **blaming** it on those perfidious 'locals'. Thus, no one bats an eyelid as, virtually overnight, we find a huge swathe of a state under water, with around a million souls displaced. It's the fault of those 'local ' officials, who must have pocketed the funds meant for repair and upkeep of embankments, and were just waiting for the flood so they can claim their work was washed away. And we still find it normal that men sent in on boats on rescue operations should be found raping women, even as local bahubalis simply hoard the relief supplies leaving the old and weak to die. It's the fault of the 'local' socio-political space. They are like that only. It says nothing about the whole nation at all. Ditto for those minorities being burnt and hounded in another state. After all, secularism, willy-nilly, means majoritarianism. Forgetting that would only be inviting trouble. No one likes small groups asserting themselves anyway. As for those masses screaming for independence in another state, there's just got to be something wrong with them too. Look at all we've done for them over the years. Ingratitude is a sin that finds no redemption except through cur fews, lathis and bullets. As for the rest of us, we are innocent, and decent. **Anarchy, needless to say, is utterly normal**. A quick reading suggest that this article fits Goa perfectly.
[Goanet] Some do's and dont's (from Nagpur)
Airport, a sitting duck? http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Airport_a_sitting_duck/rssarticles how/3450709.cms NAGPUR: At a time when terrorists are virtually striking in the country at will, city's international airport appears strangely vulnerable despite increased need for security. Though there are strict security checks and restrictions on entry at the airport itself, **constructions have come up all along its periphery** providing easy vantage points to potential saboteurs for their activities. Judging from the real estate activity reported about Mopa, the periphery of the airport may witness similar constructions. These may not be scams as some mistakenly believe but potential threats to safety and security. Let's hope there is proper zoning of the airport area from the outset and that the periphery itself is properly protected from Day One.
[Goanet] Goa about to miss the bus again
Maha airport project gets ministry nod http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Maha-airport-project-gets-ministry-nod/ 356996/ A proposal to set up a Greenfield airport in Sindhudurg in Maharashtra was accorded 'in-principle' approval by the civil aviation ministry on Wednesday. The Maharashtra government had proposed to set up the new airport through the public-private-partnership route at an estimated cost of Rs 492 crore, with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation as the nodal agency. Finally some signs of the fire under all the smoke. Its funny that the cost is estimated at only about Rs 500 crores. This is what Mopa should have been. Instead it is still pegged at the extravagant ICAO model of about Rs 1300 crores. Now Mopa is in danger of being stillborn! And Goa will have to be content with a hobbling Dabolim since the Navy has lowered the boom on further expansion and hence any modernisation. We should have had a Rs 500 crore Mopa regional airport plus Dabolim international airport as-is-where-is. Goa is all set to miss the bus again. Kyrie elison.
[Goanet] Eye-opener on airport design
The new runway atDelhi is 14,534 feet long - the longest in Asia. But there is a catch. **Thefirst 4,800 feet is not available for landing because of the Shiv Murthistatue, which was installed 25 years after the parallel runway concept wasinitiated.** The longest runway, therefore, gets shortened.[self based on HBL excerpt]. Now dig this: IGI Airport's new runway gets thumbs up from ICAO http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Air lines__Aviation/IGI_Airports_new_runway_gets_thumbs_up_from_ICAO_/articlesho w/3441260.cms A team of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has given its thumbs up to the new runway at the IGI Airport here and recommended that the lessons learnt from completion of the project should be shared with other countries. The Air Navigation Commission (ANC), that comes under ICAO, an UN body, **which recently concluded its two-week visit to India,** had a first- hand glimpse of the construction activities going on here to build the modern airport. The GMR-led Delhi International Airport (DIAL) briefed the team led by ANC President Omari R Nundu about the execution of various activities, including the Code 'F' runway called 11-29, which was commissioned well ahead of schedule. The ANC felt that lessons learnt in execution of such a complex project could be shared with other contracting states of the ICAO, a note from the Commission said To rub things in it added: ANC President Omari Nundu described the Commission's visit as an eye-opener which made his team aware of the ongoing developments in the civil aviation sector in India. Someone is reading goanet aviation updates. Which is surely an eye-opener, right? Mirabile dictu or whatever.
[Goanet] Eye-opener on airport design
Long and short of the new Delhi runway A. Ranganathan http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090351240900.htm The Delhi airport expansion plan was conceived in 1969 by the JRD Tata committee. The third runway was one of the recommendations. This suggestion was unheeded until 1996 when Airports Authority of India pushed for it again. The government took six long years and trashed the project. The Commonwealth Games in 2011 seems to have given the project a fresh lease of life and the new entrant GMR was given just a few months to formulate the project. It appears that **the lack of sufficient time has resulted in overlooking vital issues.** Any structure that comes up in the vicinity of airports requires clearance from the civil aviation authorities. The Tata committee report has been in place since 1969. **Yet, in 1994, a 62-feet tall Shiv Murthi statue was installed near the expansion area.** Who gave the clearance? While submitting the plan for the new runway, was GMR aware of the statue or did it choose to ignore the same? ...The new runway at Delhi is 14,534 feet long - the longest in Asia. But there is a catch. **The first 4,800 feet is not available for landing because of the Shiv Murthi statue, which was installed 25 years after the parallel runway concept was initiated.** The longest runway, therefore, gets shortened. The owners of the airport have plans to build four parallel runways by 2050. Are they sure that more statues or high rise buildings will not come up in the vicinity? Will they be able to prevent them when **political patronage plays a very large part in infrastructure**?...The new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad are claimed to be 'world class'... While the runway and the ground facilities of the two airports seem to be of the required standard, **they fall short in an important area - rapid connectivity to the city. When one looks at the airports that get selected for the top slots worldwide, the connectivity infrastructure is initiated even when the airport design is in the conceptual stage.** The two airports also fail in a very important safety aspect... **the Airports Authority of India has erred badly in the installation of the Instrument Landing System Glide Slope in both Bangalore and Hyderabad.** An aircraft coming in to land normally descends on a 3-degree glide slope. Yet , the AAI has installed the glide slope to an angle of 3.30 degree at one airport and 3.40 degrees in the other, forcing the aircraft to descend more steeply than it needs to, that is, at 900-1000 feet per minute. As the structural limit for the landing gear (or the wheels of the aircraft) is only 600 feet per minute, pilots have to shift from the high sink rate to a rate less than 600 feet per minute just before landing with a flare manoeuvre. **Any delay, either due to a judgement error or fatigue, can result in a hard landing or a tail strike.** Will sufficient smarts and time be available to ensure that Mopa does not suffer from such problems? I have serious doubts. But I wouldnt mind being proved wrong.
[Goanet] A forerunner of things to come?
IAF's MiG-29 crashes near Jamnagar http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1187179 This is the sixth aircrash being suffered by the IAF this year and **the fifth MiG-29 to crash since June 2006** Dabolim is to be the base for MiG-29Ks, the naval variant. At this rate Dabolim's MiG-29K fleet could be wiped out in 3 or 4 years!
[Goanet] 'Problems' of two airport systems
'Keep old airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad functional' http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/09/01/stories/2008090150240600.htm Official sources, however, felt that there could be logistical problems in segregating traffic between two airports in the same city. If a passenger was to travel from, say, Belgaum to Bangalore before connecting on to a flight to Mumbai, many issues will have to be tackled. Let us assume that the Belgaum flight is operated by an ATR and therefore will land at the old airport. The flight to Mumbai will take off from the new greenfield airport. So not only the passengers but their bags also will have to move from one airport to the other, both of which are some distance away, officials pointed out. This is a problem only if the passenger travels by one airline on both legs. If the airlines are separate then it would be the passenger's responsibility to make the transfer in Bangalore. The airlines should focus on point-to-point travel, not hub and spoke operations for connecting flights.
[Goanet] Problems of air travel
Domestic airlines hit more air pockets http://www.thehindu.com/biz/2008/09/01/stories/2008090150021500.htm As a Commercial Manager of a private airline puts it: We have tried our best to cut costs. A series of economy measures, especially on fuel consumption, has been launched. We carry less fuel, cut down on excessive weight in our own equipment and appurtenances, advice passengers to travel light, and coach our pilots to adopt fuel saving techniques. Simultaneously, our corporate clients have also embarked on cost cutting. They are advising their executives to cut down on travel, opt for overnight trains instead of early morning flights. And the opening of the greenfield airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad may have also come at an inopportune time. **Many airlines have drastically pruned their services to Bangalore, and trimmed their operations to Hyderabad. The time taken to travel to and from these airports makes a difference. Now Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has already introduced a user charge for domestic passengers, while Bangalore will also follow suit.** All this adds up to the fare. Goa needs to be prepared for such problems at Mopa if it is an international airport and puts Dabolim out of business.
[Goanet] DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
Logically, Dabolim airport in its centralised location serves both North and South equally well in terms of distance, pricing of taxi fares etc. With the exception of a certain district in North Goa and other vested interests in Maharashtra, the entire state of Goa seems to want Dabolim Airport.[Sheila Dza] Sheila, your comparison of Dabolim and Mopa suggests to me the use of the imagery underpinning the required reasoning. One may understandably resort to comparisons of which is better if it is about two lovers. But if it is about two children (in this case one is yet unborn but unwanted by one of the parents as you yourself are pointing out). I would suggest that to make the necessary headway with the problem you try to think more of Dabolim and Mopa as children (or, if you prefer, as parents). Except in extreme circumstances, one does not say one child is better than another or one parent is better than the other.
[Goanet] FW: Mopa must avoid this fate
1.If Dabolim is not going to be viable in the long rundue to military constraints, then why even bothercontinue to operate it in the long term, unless it ismeant to serve the vested economic interests of thepeople in Dabolim? By parroting the Government's line of having twoairports, you, like the government seem to bepandering to the conflicting interests of both theparties. How can a decision based on short termpolitical expediency be considered to be in Goa's bestinterests?[Marshall Mendoza] Have you taken the trouble to review the past 40 years of Dabolim civil enclave's history? Have you wondered how a 6000 foot runway (originally meant for civilian purposes) morphed under military control into a 1 foot runway suitable for (civilian) jumbo jets. Last year the Navy even opened the airport for night operation. So constraints do get relaxed -- in the long run. This is what we have to be willing to accept in the future too. The present hold up regarding a new terminal will get sorted out eventually depending on the persistence of the Goa government. Dabolim civil enclave's develpment will be by fits and starts. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water due to blind adherence to some puritanical economic norms. 2.Can you provide us with the daily average number ofcommuter landings and takeoffs in Goa to justify thisextravagance? I highly doubt that there is enoughtraffic to make this a profitable operation for thestate. I used the term commuter airport to help you understand what I had in mind. The business model of Mopa would have to be carefully thought out. Cheers.
[Goanet] Ref: DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
What extra economics benefits will Goa get through Mopa, that we cannotget through Dabolim, if Dabolim airport is developed? Any takers ? Like thesaying goes do not take from the mouth of your children and offer it tooutsiders when the lives of your very own are at stake and that's preciselywhat's going to happen, the Mopa airport will benefit Maharashtra more than Goa,I am sure Maharashtra must be just waiting for the Mopa project to start and seehow fast the other side of the border will develop and reap the harvest fromwhat Goa will sow and at Goa's expense and South and central Goa will slowly dryup. Is that, what our Politicians want ? [Freddy Agnelo Fernandes] This may be an emotional and choral complaint. Let us look at the problem objectively. What is the propblem? Something about unequal competition from Maharashtra if Mopa gets underway. Goa's breadbasket is tourism so presumably that is what will get hit. The bellweather of Goa tourism is charter flights. Why shift charter flights to Mopa? Keep them at Dabolim. One problem solved? Then there are the famous/notorious attractions of North Goa beaches. Are these migrating to south Maharashtra? Maybe they attract a younger crowd. The charter tourists are mostly older types. So until the charter tourism demographics change and charter flights are allowed into Mopa there shouldnt be a problem of Maharshtra eating Goa's lunch. So the solution is smple. Do not make Mopa an international airport. Keep it a regional airport catering to small town airports emerging in surrounding areas and secondary airports of metros if any. It will play second fiddle to Dabolim and hopefully grow over time as the market expands due to economic growth and improved air connectivity.
[Goanet] New age flying
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Asian airlines shed `flab' to cut fuel costs With every gram carried on board equating to fuel, airlines are taking a closer look at what's on board and making some inventive changes to cut their fuel costs. http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1650070 Hong Kong: Lighter lunches, less alcohol and even streamlined cutlery are on the menu on Asian airlines as they shed excess weight in scores of little ways in a bid to cut down escalating fuel costs. With every gram carried on board equating to fuel, airlines are taking a closer look at what's on board and making some inventive changes to cut their fuel costs - some which passengers may notice, others they won't. These include using lighter cutlery with in-flight meals, cutting down on the amount of wine, beer and water carried on board and even ditching heavyweight magazines in favour of more lightweight reading - literally. Japan's largest airliner Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) has shaved 2.5 kg per flight by introducing spoons and forks that are two gm lighter for its non-business class passengers. Its in-flight audio programmes have also been made a few pages thinner by squashing Japanese and English text side-by-side. However, the most weight being lifted is in the cargo section where JAL has introduced glass fibre containers to cut some 26 km per load. All Nippon Airways Co (ANA), meanwhile, have decided to stock its alcohol section with quarter bottles of wine instead of full bottles, but has assured passengers that this will not lead them to run out mid-route, insisting: we had loaded too much before. The company has also changed seats on domestic flight planes - introducing a lighter carbon fibre seat frame that reportedly will save the airline 40,000 litres per aircraft each year. For passengers it has brought welcomed widened legroom, according to a spokesman, although the downside is reduced cushion in their seats. Other airlines are taking more short-term measures. Singapore Airlines has already introduced lightweight carts and service-ware for meals on board its new A380, the world's largest passenger jet - a move which will eventually be extended to other aircraft. We're also eliminating heavy magazines and opting for lightweight reading instead, said a spokesperson, although he declined to reveal the publications that would be scrapped. Thai Aiways International (THAI) is seeking to reduce its weight load by skimping on fuel reserves, a policy that might cause some jitters among passengers although the airline insists the policy is in keeping with European safety standards. The national carrier is aiming to halve its contingency fuel reserves as part of its weight-loss measures. One THAI executive said such a move on the Bangkok-London route, for instance, would mean shedding about two tonnes in weight - amounting to a fuel reduction that would save $800. In the Philippines, airlines have taken less innovative measures to cut weight. Flagship carrier Philippine Airlines has already limited free checked in baggage to 23 kg on its North American service, while domestic carrier Air Philippines has cut its daily service from Manila to three southern cities. Others are looking to more expensive, long-term methods such as replacing their fuel guzzling aircraft with more fuel-efficient aircraft. The same move is being employed by Hong Kong's flagship airline Cathay Pacific, which sees fuel-efficient aircraft and route management as the key to saving fuel. **But the prize for the most innovative weight watching has to go to India's Kingfisher, which has admitted saving pennies on their fuel bill by reducing the amount of washroom water carried on board. They are encouraging passengers not to spend a penny (visit the washroom). Our planes are flying with half or less than half-filled water tank as it lightens the load and reduces fuel consumption. And we are not the only airline doing this, a Kingfisher airline senior official told the Daily Telegraph. With experts claiming that every flush at 30,000 feet saves enough fuel to power a car for 10 km, this move is not as silly as you would first think.** As the well-worn adage goes: Every little bit helps. All this is fine. But who will tell the Indian government to make the really big changes like straightening out circuitous air routes (which presently try to avoid the plethora of military bases) and reducing congestion at airports (especially civil enclaves like Dabolim which have to enforce onerous slot restrictions). Until then we would be Kingfisher-style penny wise and pound (currency as well as weight) foolish.
[Goanet] DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
Philip Thomas wrote:So the solution is smple. Do not make Mopa an international airport. Keep it a regional airport catering to small town airports emerging in surrounding areas and secondary airports of metros if any. It will play second fiddle to Dabolim and hopefully grow over time as the market expands due to economic growth and improved air connectivity.Comment:I am very clear in my mind on certain issues Marshall Mendoza then goes on to itemise the usual chorus of cliches and objections. Nobody is denying the need for financial viability of Mopa. But before doing that some out-of-the-box thinking is called for to counter the other problems listed. Until one sees signs of that willingness there may be no point getting into a point by point debate. Cheers.
[Goanet] FW: DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
Dabolim Airport is still underconsideration apparently from Manmohan Singh and the Union Civil Aviation Minister. http://www.oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=8880cid=2 If we all rally together, Dabolim Airport will emerge the winner. This was an excellent input, Marina. I was thinking that as usual after making a hue and cry about Dabolim being better than Mopa, goanetters had gone to sleep when the news about the 'setback' to Dabolim was first posted. You ave proved the exception and are right in suggesting that we roll up our sleeves and get going. Its good that the Kamat govt is planning to do some lobbying in this connection. One small suggestion, please talk about Dabolim and Mopa as 'winners' together. As I have repeatedly said, even upgradation of Dabolim may be no guarantee that it will remain open for civilian traffic once Mopa is operational. Kamat Co will have to remain on their toes continuously from now on for Goa's sake. Something different for the politicians and ministers (and the people) unlike in the past, right? Cheers. _ Searching for the best deals on travel? Visit MSN Travel. http://msn.coxandkings.co.in/cnk/cnk.do
[Goanet] FW: Mopa must avoid this fate
1.I do not accept your statement of DabolimAND Mopa This is the position of the Goa Government, ok? I am just following through on the logic, Marlon. 2.Your support for Mopa is for it to be a'regional airport', is intended to be a compromisebetween the two conflicting parties (Dabolim and Mopa)who have their obvious vested interests. See my response to #1. The purpose is to serve Goa's interests, and not just to achieve any 'compromise' between 'Dabolim' and 'Mopa' vested inteersts. 3.making an economic decision to placate two parties while ignoring what may be best for thestate is faulty thinking imo ICAO itself admitted that two airports were NOT a purely economic decision. The main political problem is not of any land scam but Naval control of Dabolim and associated constraints to civilian traffic there. Plus the commercial interest of any big bang airport builder at Mopa. 4.what exactly is a regional airport meant tobe, specially considering that it will not cater tothe domestic and international markets. In the west it is sometimes called a commuter airport. In the aviation industry sometimes there are international regional airports in small countries. I would favour the former (with a vision and the provision to grow over time into something bigger), although at Mopa there may be scope for international exports of perishable products. 5.Can Dabolim be allowedto break free from the constraints laid down by theNavy? If yes, I dont see the need for an airport thatis not networked with the heart of Goa. If not,Dabolim should be shut down. The answer to the first proposition is 'No'. The answer to the second one is also 'No'. So now what do you suggest? When you grow older you will realise there are no easy, cut and dried solutions in life. Cheers. _ Searching for the best deals on travel? Visit MSN Travel. http://msn.coxandkings.co.in/cnk/cnk.do
[Goanet] DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
The goal should be to restore Dabolim as a full-time civilian airport which will more than serve the aviation needs of Goa, The land scam Mopa is not needed and no one should promote land scams in Goa. The Indian navy can move to bases outside Goa.Regards,George To achieve the goal Dabolim needs to continue to function for at least 20 years in tandem with Mopa. It should not close either intentionally or by default. The latter wll depend on Mopa's design and the availability of ground access to it. The bigger and the better, respectively, the worse the chances of survival. The Navy is not going to oblige the way it is naively expected by George. A beginning will have to be made by the citizenry to call for a U.S. style Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) exercise, at least as far as air bases are concerned, so that civil enclaves like Dabolim, Pune Lohegaon, Vishakhapatnam, Agra etc dont get shut by (other) vested interests as it happened at HAL, Begumpet, and Cochin.
[Goanet] DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
like Mopa v/sDabolim;everyone can debate BUT only a few will decide ...based onfinancial feasibility. It is all about money, honey.Mog asundi.Miguel It may be better to debate and go in with eyes wide open than get collectively screwed in a blissful state of ignorance. Sure it is about money. What's wrong with that? It is also about making an intellectual effort when there is an opportunity and trying to ensure transparency and accountability on the part of those few whoever they may be. Dont shed crocodile tears about Goa if the latter cant be attempted or achieved, ok?
[Goanet] Not (yet) on message
TOI Aug 26,'08: State administration is ultimate authority on airport issue: CM. Some of the jarring notes: 1)Kamat categorically assured that the Dabolim airport would be retained even IF the government pursued the Mopa airport project. It should have been when. 2) The government ... has decided that Dabolim CAN be retained It should have been must be retained. So #1 and #2 together indicate hesitancy. Maybe Miguel Braganza can interpret. 3)The project is being planned to cater to 20 million passengers over the next 25 to 30 years. What does this mean? Almost 1 million passengers a year for 25-30 years? Or 20 million passengers per annum IN 2033 or 2038? The former may be more realistic though I doubt that this is the actual plan for Mopa. It represents a huge climb down from the 10 million figure of ICAO used originally (comparable to BIA and HIA and perhaps Navi Mumbai) and whittled down to about 6 million subsequently. The government needs to be upfront about the actual start-up size of Mopa and projected growth in conjunction with Dabolim. 4) The financial viability will depend on ownership and funding patterns which are based upon other models operating in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi and other places. These three have been based on closures of existing civil enclaves so its bad news if they are being used as templates for Mopa since assurances are being given for public consumption that Dabolim will be retained. 5) Lourenco said that the closure of Dabolim airport would severely affect the economy and livelihood of South Goa. I would simply have said Goa instead of appearing partisan.
[Goanet] PWD IS TO BE BLAMED
The tragic death of Kundaim young lass Supriya Naik at Ribandar on 22ndAugust morning may technically be a road accident but the PWD engineers aredefinitely to be blamed for her death. The despicable condition of the roadfrom Sao Pedro to Ribandar Patto after it was carelessly dug to lay a newwater supply pipeline over five months ago is surely a contributory factorThe careless neglect of this accident prone road is deplorable andunpardonable. Well put. Is there some provision for suing diggers and neglecters of roads? There should be. It is reaching criminal proportions.
[Goanet] Mopa must avoid this fate
A commercially oriented machine, without heart or soul http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/23/stories/2008082353860400.htm Bangalore has waited for over a decade for a decent airport that measured up to the splendid image that its IT industry has created for India. What it has got is a cold, commercially oriented machine, without heart or soul. .. I am coming round to the belief that the airport was conceived and executed by small minds, who either lacked the vision...or just decided that the interests of their shareholders would be best served by getting away with the narrowest definition of contractual responsibilities. and cutting every corner in sight. My own theory is that Bangalore airport users did not or could not take sufficient interest in the planning and design of the airport. In the end the city is only getting what it deserves due to neglect. Can Goa avoid this fate at Mopa? The risk is there as long as we keep talking about Mopa vs Dabolim. When we start saying Dabolim AND Mopa there may be some hope. Let's wait and see.
[Goanet] Mopa must avoid this fate
The real problem is the commute from the city. But I believe that can't be held againstthe airport. Today, there is news that a six lane elevated highway isgoing to be built soon from Hebbal to the airport. [Samir Kelekar] Thanks, Samir, for sharing your personal experience with BIA. This is the first such report I personally have received! I am glad my purpose in stimulating a discussion has been served. Your comment above highlights the importance of viewing airport projects in an integrated way -- the airport proper as well as access by air and ground. In the case of BIA, once the decision was taken to close HAL when BIA opened, the latter could go full steam ahead without any concern for the ground access problem. In the case of Mopa, ground access can take its own time (as in Bangalore) if both airports can stay open. But this means Mopa has to start small and grow (unlike BIA which could go for a big bang or rather expansion on the trot which it is fumbling over). Maybe Mopa wont have to cope with the kind of expansion BIA has had to deal with. Tourism is not as much of a hot potato as IT. If ground access is handled 'properly' in Goa, then there is a real risk that Dabolim will close by default as airlines may relocate to Mopa! This is the kind of tricky situation Goa has to handle. And people have to think about it if politicians are not to gum things up with their vested interests and adopt a bull in a china shop approach.
[Goanet] DABOLIM AIRPORT SUFFERS SETBACK
It is highly unlikely that both Dabolim and Mopa will remain operational simultaneously. Goa which is a much smaller place than Bangalore or Hyderabad cannot economically sustain two airports. Mopa has vested interests as Rajan earlier commented. There are people who have purchased vast tracts of land near Mopa and stand to lose if the airport does not come through.Regards,Marshall Sure, there is no guarantee that two airports in Goa can remain operational simultaneously. It can be done and it has to be managed, not either taken for granted or given up without even lifting a finger. And sure, Mopa was clearly agreed to by ICAO for reasons other than economics. Marshall Mendoza has offered one set of such reasons. What about the obvious one of Dabolim being a military base just as Hyderabad's Begumpet and Bangalore's HAL were until HIA and BIA started this year? Not to mention Cochin's naval air station where a civil enclave operated until CIAL came up in the 1990s. Politicians are soft targets compared to the defense establisment, right? Let's see how things really are before going in for knee jerk reactions.
[Goanet] Upgrading Dabolim would be better...
Well, well, well it transpires that the Mopa project is being pushed through in the interests of the Politicians - not the interests of the people of Goa. These guys want to fill their boots.**Furthermore, the so called resident expert on Air Travel relatedmatters, needs to do more than some homework, instead of trying tojustify MOPA.** Please read on:-ICAO didn't say 'Yes' to Mopa ANTHONY J SIMOES Upgrading Dabolim would be better, at one-third the price PANJIM, AUG 21 [Gabe Menezes] Sure, I did some homework in response to this unsolicited advice. Here's what I found about the author of the story our resident goanet expert is regurgitating without adding much intellectual value to what Arwin Mesquita posted earlier. Anthony Simoes based in Calangute has been involved in research on various environmental issues in Goa for over a decade. From the impacts of the Konkan Railway alignment, Nylon 66, Golf courses, destruction of sand dunes, to mining impacts and chemical pollution. He has prepared critiques of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, documentation for Public Hearings, status reports for fact finding teams as well as base material for public interest litigation (PIL's). http://osdir.com/ml/culture.region.india.goa/2002-11/msg00154.html Its funny but the present Simoes' report doesnt say a word about Mopa's environmental impact on which general subject he seems to be an expert. As for Mopa he along with almost everybody else on goanet has been like Rip van Winkle for the last 1 year as the ICAO report (whose field work was reportedly done in 8 days in July 2007 is dated August 2007 i.e. NOT 2008!). I have critiqued the ICAO report in a series of articles in HERALD and goanet from Oct/Nov 2007 all of which sank like stones in the Mandovi. All these folks dont seem to realise that since Jan 2008, Goa government has been pushing for two airports. It is pointless to talk about Dabolim vs Mopa. The need of the hour is to figure out about Dabolim AND Mopa for Goa's sake. What I have been saying is that Mopa cannot be the ICAO designed airport with all the problems we are hearing about on goanet now from latter day Vasco da Gama's (of Mopa). It has to be a smaller airport which does not cannibalise Dabolim's traffic and force it to shut down by default if not by intent. The Goa government is the one who should be asked about this, not me. And the faith in upgrading Dabolim is touching. Its been hanging fire for 5 years since it was first proposed in 2003. And the Rs 430 cr upgrade if it does happen will be no guarantee that Dabolim will remain open once a full blown Mopa international airport opens at Mopa for all the reasons Simoes cites. This has happened at Bangalore and it will happen in Goa unless Goans are alert. For starters, Dabolim's IATA code (GOI) will likely be transferred to Mopa with the blessings of the Navy as sure as God made apples. But then Goans can be counted on to miss out on the vital problems and busy themselves with really petty ones. just like the great Nero in Rome of yesteryear. Sleep in heavenly peace.
[Goanet] People more important than infrastructure --- Narayan Murthy
There seems to be a tendency in this thread so far to confuse well managed private corporations with a chaotic democratic state like Goa. This response seems to confuse the purpose of exemplars such as well managed MNCs for the improvement of functioning anarchies like Goa. The MNCs (including India's Infosys) did not emerge in a vacuum. They had their roots in society. The best of them wove threads from family, schools, military and even religion into their precepts and practices and they cooperated with government or rivals to achieve challenging societal goals. The countries arrived on the global scene on the backs of these corporations (again including Infosys). It is disingenuous to suggest that Goa has nothing to learn from exemplars simply because it is believed to be somehow completely unique in the universe. ( I personally dont think Goa is so hidebound. It is just not properly advised by its own people.)
[Goanet] People more important than infrastructure -NarayanMurthy
We need infrastructure and human resource at appropriate levels... from 1992, village schools teach Marathi and/or Konkani up to Std.IV and then shift to English medium of instruction in Std.V resulting in high failure rate. It has widened the gap between the haves and the have nots as the ones who are not proficient in English do not have jobs later in lifeTalent must be nurtured. Infrastructure must include appropriate policies and financial support for the good ...[Miguel Braganza] Cutting through the verbiage one can say that at the core we have the issue of employability. Employability (including entrepreneurial ability) precedes employment. And as the author has rightly suggested education at all levels is central to employability. All those who emerge from the Goa eduactional system, including drop outs, must be employable (or have some entrepreneurial ability) to some extent, as far as possible in Goa itself and, if necessary, elsewhere. The educational system must stress functional literacy and communication, reasoning, comprehension, empiricism etc in approrpiate ways and not just rote memory. Infrastructure must be provided accordingly at a statewide level. Ancillary services such as remedial centres, placement facilities etc must also be provided for. Once established they must all be maintained and operated in proper ways and not in chaltha hai mode. That in a nutshell may be the way forward in this area.
[Goanet] People more important than infrastructure --- Narayan Murthy
Narayan Murthy says that talent is anyday more important than infrastructure.[Samir Kelekar] Murthy is only echoing what IBM's chief said years ago: Take all IBM infrastructure but leave its people and IBM will return to its former glory. The Japanese companies also laid great store by their valued members and worked assiduously to build corporate core competences for the long term survival and continuity of their firms. The lesson for Goa is that it needs both -- thinking and hard working people, on the one hand, as well as well thought out , well operated and well maintained infrastrucure (garbage, electricity, water supply, sewerage and drainage, air connectivity, local transport, roads etc etc) for the long haul, on the other. Both go hand in hand though on balance people would always have the edge as Murthy rightly implied.
[Goanet] Unbeatable guinea-pig?
Fighting fit Huma Siddiqui Posted online: Monday , August 11, 2008 at 21:26 hrs http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Fighting-fit/347037/ The need to be deployable and battle-ready applies just as much to aircraft maintenance capabilities as it does to the fighter aircraft itself. In recent years, the process of repairing and maintaining fighter aircraft is undergoing a change, thanks to advances in computing speed, storage, miniaturisation and wireless communications. No longer are the fighting machines towed away to airport hangers, where maintenance technicians spend days if not months, trying to diagnose the problems plaguing the flying machines. Instead, problem-detecting devices such as portable maintenance aids (PMAs) and automatic test equipment (ATE) are helping technicians diagnose and repair the errors-in engines, wings or weapon shooting equipment-in an astonishing 8-10 minutes, thereby keeping the aircraft air worthy and fit to fly at a short notice. A quiet revolution in fighter aircraft maintenance is round the corner. The likes of Boeing, EADS, Lockheed Martin and Gripen are chipping in with modern fighter aircraft that are easy to maintain. Even if a malfunction occurs, service support-by means of diagnostic and maintenance equipment-is at hand. For India, the issue of aircraft maintenance assumes significance in the wake of its ambitious plans to purchase 126 aircraft worth $10-billion. The requests for proposals (RFP) take into consideration per unit cost of the aircraft, lifetime maintenance support, license production and transfer of technology costs Where does the MiG29K/KUB, expected to be based at Dabolim, fit into all this? Or is Dabolim a place where one can do old-fashioned tinkering to one's heart's content? Will the MiG29K/KUB go the Sea Harrier way in its crash proneness? Time will tell.
[Goanet] What IS the plan? What SHOULD BE the plan?
This is in continuation of the one-two strategy to put the Mopa airport project in proper shape for Goa's sake. The basic idea is to 1) study the available analogues (usually Bangalore) for pointers and 2) ponder what, if anything, should be different in Mopa. BIAL is a functional airport DH News Service, Bangalore: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug142008/city2008081484516.asp 1. On the frequent comparison of the BIA with the GMR operated international airport in Hyderabad Brunner said, Our aim was not to build an architectural marvel, but a world class a functional and operational airport. The Hyderabad airport is 30 percent bigger, but we are functionally superior. So what is the plan for Mopa? Is it to be a functional airport or an architectural wonder? Digambar Kamat Co need to be fully upfront about this instead of blatantly trying to hush everything up from the word Go. 2. Between 2000-02 there was much turbulence in the design aspects and projected air traffic growth. We increased our investment from Rs 1412 crores to Rs 2470 crores. Assuming Mopa starts small (say Rs 500 crores) , this inflation is what will happen as it grows over the next decade or so. Responsiveness to growing traffic (in conjunction with Dabolim) will be at a premium. Scale at start-up and modularity of design for expansion purposes will be the key parameters. Ultimately these will determine the type of partner to be chosen for Mopa, someone who is in for the long haul in Goa's interests (of which Dabolim civil enclave is an integral part) and not just to make a quick buck at Goa's expense (i.e.of its residents and visitors) 3.Emphasising the necessity to convince public and industry leaders on a one airport concept, Brunner said the City will lose out on air traffic if the old airport is opened. This (one-airport concept) must NOT happen in Goa. Dabolim civil enclave must continue with all its limitations. Mopa must play second fiddle (but not in a technological and functional way) for as long as it takes before emerging in its own right via natural growth as Goa's primary airport a couple of decades down the line. This is all commonsense to achieve a win-win outcome, not rocket science as some venerable goanetters would have people believe for reasons best known to themselves. Dominus vobiscum. .
[Goanet] Govindraj Ethiraj: The People`s Licence Raj [Business Standard]
Almost every major industrial project in the country finds it easy to procure licences and permissions from the Centre and state governments. You can predict, more or less, how long it will take to get a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) application through, where necessary, and then other permissions. And even, by hook or by crook, the dreaded environmental clearances. But in the licence raj era, if that was the end of the problems, today it's only the beginning. The most challenging task is to procure and secure what I would term the people's licence. From land-owners, villagers, land sharks, interested parties, disinterested parties, the whole bunch. And while in the licence raj, you had to manage a few politicians and/or bureaucrats, now it's a whole melting pot of amazingly diverse groups with multiple agendas, some pretty legit, some not. Tough luck. http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=331835 Today, Goa may be on the forefront (or close to it) of the People's Licence Raj. Cheers.
[Goanet] Plane righteousness vs salutary statesmanship
QUESTION: Are you so much in the know, that you can make thestatements that you do and are you so confident that it will be asmall Airport linking only the locality?Even if this is the case, why burden the Goan tax payer for somethingwhich will benefit only a few - perhaps more benefit for across theborder?-- DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes.London. While thanking you for reading and responding to my post, I regret to say that the logic of your question(s) escape(s) me almost completely! I take it that it is not very consequential and no explanation is really necessary. May you live in interesting times.
[Goanet] Plane righteousness vs salutary statesmanship
In TOI 16/8/08, there is this article headlined Churchill uses I-Day platform to slam govt. In it there is this line: [Alemao] cautioned the government against going ahead with the Mopa airport as that would be 'disastrous' for Goa and Goans. Now this is all very well and good if the Mopa airport he envisages is the international project outlined erroneously by ICAO. But what if Mopa airport is planned and designed as a small regional airport that doesnt compete with Dabolim for passengers? Then why should a plane vanilla Mopa airport catering to Tier III towns in its vicinty be disastrous? It would expand the aviation market instead of cannibalising Dabolim's traffic and jeopardising the latter's future. If Alemao could bring himself to make this small but significant semantic switch it would be a huge step for Goa and Goans in aviation. What would it take to make him and his army of followers do that? That's the million dollar question for Goa. A small airport need not be antediluvian in design, including technology, by any means. It can be state of the art, leapfrogging a generation of such facilities in the world. It should also be built for future expansion in a modular way to maximise the efficiency of capital. But before all this, a suitable business model must be thought through, including all desirable revenue streams, so that it is viable in the shortest possible time frame -- in conjunction with, and not at the cost of, Dabolim. Alemao should not have a problem with this, right (if he is a true Goan)? Thus the line between pig-headedness and statesmanship is a fine one indeed. One serious problem we foresee is that there may be a built in bias among pols for mega-projects especially in an election year (for Parliament) when campaign war chests have to be built up. That may be what is driving GOG and MOCA towards the ICAO design which MOD would not find incompatible with its own long term aims for Dabolim either. It may be easier to take an all or nothing stand in the circumstances even though Goa would be doomed to second rate aviation facilities for another few decades.
[Goanet] Snoozing thu the brewing of a scam
Check out the opening lines of TOI's 19/8/08 story titled 'Monsoon session: Netas get down to business: Airport issue addressed, Oppn takes pot shots at govt'. The Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday assured the legislative assembly that Dabolim airport will be maintained as the international airport with proper upgradation even after Mopa becomes operational. Replying to the general discussion on the budget ... Kamat made an impassioned plea to the house .'Let us unanimously support this proposal to keep both airports. With this clarification let us consider this discussion closed,' Kamat said. Mopa's big opponent, Churchill Alemao, who was sitting just behind Kamat, thumped the desk in approval. 1. Only a few months ago Kamat had said on national TV that Mopa would be international while Dabolim would be domestic. Why the switch now? Or is the plan to have two international airports that would compete to see which one would win out over the other? The expression even after Mopa becomes operational may be a pointer to the latter. 2. Why the mpassioned plea to consider the discussion of two airports closed? This is a clear sign of some sort of hanky panky to which we better wake up before it is too late. Having proposed a two airport system the onus is on Kamat and GOG to take the people into confidence as to how exactly it would work. The discussion must begin, not end. It's funny that the renowned Leader of the Opposition said lots about other things but nothing at all about the airport(s) issue (apart from a stray reference to Kamat's frequent flights to Delhi to keep his squabbling flock together). 3. What is Alemao approving? Only yesterday we had posted the bit about his slamming the government in an I-Day speech for any kind of airport at Mopa. Who would be fooled by the TOI line in this article? Maybe many, many more than one would expect judging by the huge yawns and snores from all around. Sweet dreams, Goa.
[Goanet] Bleeding airlines cut Goa flights
The huge growth in air travel to Goa and other destinations was due tolow fares offered by airlines. Due to various reasons, the low fare erahas gone, and so the air traffic has dropped. It is as straightforward asthat; nothing more to read into it. regards,Samir Here is a report on changes in costs and fares. Airfares outpace fuel cost hike Anirban Chowdhury / New Delhi August 17, 2008, 4:58 IST http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=331620 An analysis of twelve sectors, including long and medium-haul sectors like Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Bangalore and Delhi-Ahmedabad and short-haul sectors like Hyderabad-Bangalore, shows that while full-service carriers have increased prices by 52-55 per cent during April and August, low-cost carriers (LCC), led by Jet Lite, increased prices by anywhere between 75-85 per cent. Fuel cost is only the tip of the iceberg. Indian aviation is not at all energy efficient because of airspace restrictions due to military controls and and airport restrictions such as at Dabolim. Fifty percent of Indian airspace is restricted causing airlines to fly circuitous routes and there are over 25 civil enclaves which have slot restrictions causing congestion and hovering of planes. The biggest of these (Hyderabad and Bangalore and Kochi even earlier) have been shut inviting a high cost airport structure in the country. Dabolim, Pune, Vizag and Agra are next in line aggravating the whole matter. The need of the hour is for the government at all levels to seriously attack the cost structure of aviation (due to defence, taxes, AAI inefficiencies etc) to make low-cost no-frills aviation widespread in India including Goa without compromising security and state finances.
[Goanet] Amarnath and Mopa: What is the connection?
In today's HERALD. the column by Tomcat briefly heaped scorn on the link made by Churchill Alemao between the Amarnath imbroglio in JK and the Mopa airport project here in Goa. Alemao of course (well, off and on) wants Mopa to be a nonstarter. So what is Amarnath all about? Here is a primer of sorts in ET: Cultural nationalism at work 14 Aug, 2008, hrs IST,TK Arun, ET Bureau Kashmir is raging against India. Jammu is raging against Kashmir. Two sets of political formations are happy with all this rage. One set comprises the separatists in Kashmir and Islamic fundamentalists who want all Muslims to see themselves primarily as members of a religion under siege around the world and only thereafter as normal human beings with worldly goals, affinities and affiliations. The other political formation smacking its lips at the communal wash spewing out from Jammu and Kashmir's turbulence is the Sangh Parivar...What is the agitation in Jammu all about? The issue at stake is not a few acres of land. Rather, at stake is a syncretic tradition of Kashmir, of Muslims facilitating a Hindu pilgrimage. Pilgrimage, let us be clear, is as much tourism as it is piety. Tourism is a modern-day phenomenon, when material prosperity makes travel for pleasure seem an entirely legitimate undertaking. In pre-industrial times when bare subsistence was the norm for the bulk of the population, it was immoral, if not impractical, for people to abandon their normal occupation of eking out a living just to travel. But travel is in the human gene. Otherwise, Homo Sapiens sapiens would not have moved out her home in Africa to spread out over the expanse of the planet. So, travel people did, even those who could barely make both ends meet, and justified it as pilgrimage, that is, travel in pursuit of piety. Tourism generates jobs and incomes, whether the said tourism is dressed up in sacred garb or unrobes to show off its hedonist core. It is no different with the Amarnath yatra... The sangh parivar ... seeks to rid Hinduism of traditional non-hostility to other faiths and convert all non-Hindus into second class citizens, living in India on Hindu forbearance. In Amarnath, Hindus and Muslims are mutually engaged, even in a Hindu pilgrimage. This is abhorrent to the sangh parivar, as well as to Islamic fundamentalists. Both kinds of exclusivists are inimical to the idea of India as envisaged in our liberal democratic Constitution, a plural state where people of different faiths can live together in harmony and dignity. The violence in Jammu and Kashmir is a good sampling of what the BJP's exclusionary goal holds in store for the country. It poses the biggest threat to India's internal security and economic prosperity. Irreconcilable differences, tourism, livelihoods, economic betterment etc etc. Anyone want to attempt a similar linkage between the opponents and proponents of Mopa in Goa?
[Goanet] Bleeding airlines cut Goa flights
Bleeding airlines cut Goa flights16 Aug 2008, 0509 hrs IST, Gauree Malkarnekar,TNN http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Bleeding_airlines_cut_Goa_flights/art icleshow/3369928.cms In view of the grim scenario, airlines have cut flights. Airlines have themselves officially admitted that they are **reducing 25% of their flights,**says Mohan Gera of MGM International. With the end of the tourist season in May, the number of planes landing at Dabolim airport has gone down considerably. According to Nilesh Shah of Raj Travels, most airline companies have cut flights. Indian Airlines has cancelled its Bangalore flight and very often calls off its last flight of the day to Mumbai. Go Air has withdrawn its Hyderabad and Delhi flights and reduced the frequency of its Bangalore flights, while Indigo has cut down its Mumbai, Kolkata and Cochin flights, he said.Spice Jet, which was flying two planes to Mumbai and Delhi daily, has brought this down to one. Jet Lite has withdrawn its Ahmedabad operations and Air Deccan has cut down its Mumbai and Bangalore flights, Shah further informed. In Today's TOI the story titled Slump in air travel is a phase it says Goa's Dabolim airport features among 4 of India's top 13 domestic airports including Bangalore, Chennai and Guwahati where domestic traffic has fallen by as much as 5 (five) per cent. So how to reconcile the two accounts? The apparently marginal 5% drop may have to be viewed along with previous growth rates of over 25%, resulting in a downward swing of a whopping 30%! That is nothing to sneeze at. The Goa government would do well to man action stations instead of complacently passing off the drop as a temporary phase.
[Goanet] Blindspot in Indian urban planning
The study jointly conducted by the NCAER and Future Capital Research says the 20 top boom cities and towns in India will have their annual household income grow at 10 per cent over the next eight years. These urban centres already account for 60 per cent of the surplus income (income minus expenditure) at present. So, these cities will be the biggest consumer markets for businesses to target. Besides the obvious candidates such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkatta and Bangalore the surprise entries among the top 20 future boom towns are Nagpur, Surat, Bhopal, Jaipur, Kanpur, Coimbatore and Lucknow. Then there are niche cities like Faridabad, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Jallandhar where both incomes and consumption are expected to substantially outpace the national. The emergence of Bhopal and Kanpur on the list is more surprising as they are in states which lag the national average on various indices. So is it the case that cities may evolve their own economic and social ethos irrespective of which states they are in? Note that Goa (as a city state) is missed out completely. It may actually belong with the top seven or eight in the country. Others may have trouble changing their mindsets in this fish vs fowl situation but GOG should not have any excuse. Goa will gets its rightful dues from the national pie only if GOG provides the lead in thinking about and planning for it -- as a city state on the move rather than as an aggregation of quaint villages mired in the distant past.
[Goanet] Triangulation for the truth
Two reports on the much touted Tourism Meet of Aug 8 are worrisome to put it mildly. One compounds the confusion in the other. These reports appeared in HERALD and TOI of Aug 9. HERALD says Gov[ernor] links top notch airports to tourism. For good measure he is said to have added if Bangalore and Hyderabad and Cochin can have airports on the PPP model so can Goa for its future growth. The worthy gentleman seems to be either unaware of or is covering up the serious problems of connectivity (both surface and air) especially Bangalore is facing on account of the PPP project of BIAL which goanetters should be aware of by now. In fact these airports along with the Delhi and Bombay PPP projects may be instrumental in jacking up costs of civil aviation across the board in the country soon with UDF on passengers and higher space rentals/charges for other airport users. Even AAI airports are now wanting to follow the lead in greed. At this rate Dabolim will not be far behind once Mopa is up and running. Higher costs is one thing, no service at all is an altogether different and unacceptable matter. This is tied to the other half baked idea proposed by Gov Sidhu. Dabolim airport which is slated for expansion can cater to domestic travel while the new airport could cater to charter and international flights. The problem is that the latter are very few in number on an average daily basis. How can a mega project envisaging A380 superjumbos be meaningful in this context? The only result will be that idomestic traffic will be sucked away from Dabolim and the latter will have to close. What the Governor is talking about is only echoing the earlier idea of the Chief Minister who, for public consumption, has been saying Mopa yes, but not at the cost of Dabolim. Unless the Mopa plan is downsized to a world class REGIONAL airport (catering to Tier II town traffic from surrounding areas, connecting to secondary airports (if any) of Bombay and Bangalore, and growing gradually and systematically), a full fledged international airport right off the bat at Mopa will be a disaster for Dabolim and for Goa. Dr Sidhu is also supposed to have given a plug for air cargo without specifying its location. Here is a line of business that Mopa can conceivably depend on since there are serious constraints at Dabolim for it. It would have to be specialised cargo aviation and not in the belly space of passenger airlines (which would be predominant at Dabolim). Careful and thoughtful analysis of Goa's cargo business is required, not off the cuff plans. The rest of the report is about tourism which may be the real forte of the new governor. For this we turn to the TOI story titled Two airports can co-exist in state: Promotion of eco, intellectual tourism also stressed upon. Besides the two mentioned (btw, what is intellectual 'tourism') there are also references to leisure tourism, adventure tourism, hinterland tourism, spice tourism, health tourism etc etc. Goa tourism may be in a crisis mode currently and the need of the hour is to converge on the most beneficial ones rather than grope around for a magic bullet, spreading resources thin in the process. The upshot is that the confusion in aviation is compounded and confounded by that in tourism. In the case of the former it is high time the powers that be spelled out how the two airports 'would' co-exist instead of being stuck in the rut of 'can co-exist'. This requires a sensible discussion of how the Mopa airport project (its business model, design, finance, build-up etc) would be managed along with its subsequent operation as well as regulation to co-exist in a mutually beneficial way with Dabolim civil enclave (including the latter's upgradation and expansion) for, say, twenty (20) years into the future? But its easier to feed the Goan public with catchy slogans rather than substantive plans. DrSidhu's idea, expressed earlier, that tourism in Goa should be based on a balance of interests between environment and economy and that Goa needs to identify its own brand image and develop it, is no doubt indisputable in principle. But it needs to be translated urgently into action beginning with the plan(s) for Mopa and Dabolim taken together rather than in isolation. About the Dabolim airport, he said earlier (again in HERALD) that though it is a defence airport, it needs to be continued with even after the PPP one is commissioned. Hopefully he means as a user-friendly facility for the aam admi and not just for occasional VVIPs as at HAL and Begumpet nowadays. The worry on this score has only been accentuated rather than attentuated with his newest comments. I do hope I am wrong about this-- for Goa's sake.
[Goanet] Desirable distance between two airports
MoCA wants to reduce the minimum distance between two airports New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is planning grid of airports across the country in such a way that there will be **an airport within 50 kms. radius from any point** in the next ten years, according to a statement made by Praful Patel, Minister for Civil Aviation. This works out theoretically to an area of about 8000 sq kms. For Goa one may want to deduct half of it on account of the sea. So Dabolim should suffice for Goa which has a land area of 3700 sq km. But that is if it was not controlled by the military. It is unlikely to vacate and shift to Karwar unless ordered to do so by some higher up. Aleternatively, it could be (has to be) ordered to re-configure its flight operations to accommodate more civilian flights. It will not do so based on mere discussions and negotiations across the table in Goa. So a new airport has to be built at Mopa, the only place suitable for this purpose, and the civil enclave at Dabolim must continue as per verbal assurances given by some higher ups. If one does come up there, then Goa will be the precursor to an airport in every district which may be what the 50 km plan works out to for the rest of the country. Shouldnt Goa take a lead in this venture and do it right? P.S. As noted in a recent post, Praful Patel may be the one who caved in to airport developers' insistence to close HAL in Bangalore and Begumpet in Hyderabad according to the prevailing 150 km rule and now he is trying to redeem himself by this 50 km plan for the country. Dabolim civil enclave got its death sentence even before that in 2000 based on the experience of the civil enclave in the NAVAL base at Cochin (Kochi) in the mid 1990s.
[Goanet] Singapore should be emulating Goa rather than the other way round
Currently, air tickets on 14 th of August to fly to Goa from Bangalore areupwards of Rs. 8,000 and in some cases Rs. 12,000 + one way if at allthey are available. I think flying to Singapore instead from Bangalore would come cheaper. No wonder, there are rumors of people raking in thousands of crores onreal estate in Goa in just the last one year.[Samir Kelekar] I think the spike in air fares will be music to the ears of the sadists and masochists of which Goa seems to have more than its fair share! They would like nothing better than to inflict/experience the pain of 12-15 hour train and bus rides to destinations. The concluding sentence suggests that they may be bringing on the very same outcome they profess to want to prevent.
[Goanet] Learning from Bangalore
1. 'BIAL deviated from designs' DH News Service, Bangalore: Minister for IT and BT, Katta Subramanya Naidu has charged Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) with deviating from the original blue print while executing the work on air terminus. We wanted an airport of international standard while the constructed one is of substandard, he alleged while speaking to reporters here on Wednesday. Disclosing that the State government would negotiate with BIAL on setting right the lapses in the construction and modifying the MoU to provide for retaining HAL airport, the minister said central intervention would be sought if the BIAL refused to concede to the demands. The government is firm on its stand on rectifying the lapses in construction. We would terminate the agreement with BIAL and entrust the work on expanding the airport to a different company if the latter fails to set-right the lapses, the minister affirmed.Opining that air traffic at BIA would reach the maximum in a period of less than an year, the minister felt HAL airport needs to be revived to cater to domestic traffic. Road access and parking space can be created at HAL airport by shifting the Institute of Aviation Medicine to some other location. A functioning airport has been closed no where in the world to pave for the new one, he substantiated. House Committee He said CM B S Yeddyurappa and Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar will shortly set up a joint House committee to probe alleged lapses in the airport construction, as assured in the Assembly recently. http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug72008/city2008080783223.asp Note that there would have been no prospect of BIA reaching maximum capacity within one year IF old HAL airport had been retained for scheduled traffic. So Mopa needs to be down-sized to avoid this problem. Its future growth based on a sound business model would have to be in tandem with Dabolim civil enclave. 2.Minister unhappy with airport Special Correspondent It's a poor cousin to most other similar projects: Katta Subramanya Naidu No seats provided for those waiting to receive passengers Quality of construction is poor, says Minister BANGALORE: Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Katta Subramanya Naidu, who is in-charge of Bangalore North, has expressed his displeasure over the amenities available at the Bengaluru International Airport and has decided to take up the matter with the Union Government. He told presspersons here on Wednesday that the international airport was not really international in comparison with the facilities available in the other international airports, including that of Hyderabad and New Delhi. This international airport is a poor cousin to most others and does not have any world standard facility. It will bring down the image of Karnataka in the eyes of the people who arrive here from across the world. The airport civil structure was marked by shoddy construction and the State Government would focus on all these issues. The Minister said the airport had no seating arrangements for people waiting to receive the passengers and there was no seating arrangement even for the police and other staff. Employees on duty at the airport had to remain standing for hours on end. Even toilets for the common people were very few. Much was expected from the new international airport and it is a let down for the people of the State. Successive governments had done their best to ensure that Bangalore had one of the finest international airports and what we now see is no where near expectations. The Karnataka Government will take up this matter seriously with the authorities concerned. The Minister said most other major metropolitan cities had more than one airport and in the context of the poor facilities at the Bengaluru International Airport and the distance between the airport and the city, it was time the HAL airport was reopened for passenger aircraft. We will take up this issue with the Centre. The Karnataka Government is a partner in the international airport and consequently has a right to demand adequate facilities for passengers and others, he said. He said the Joint Legislature Committee would probe into all aspects of the international airport. The legislature committee had been constituted at the instance of a vociferous demand made by the former Minister D.K. Shivakumar on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during the recent budget session. The Government readily agreed to the Opposition demand for constituting a legislature committee and select members of the Legislative Council would be part of the committee. http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/07/stories/2008080758530300.htm Most of the problems alluded to above are probably due to a laissez faire attitude of the state government in the project planning and design. It is rather late in the day to go in for rework. A case of closing the stable door after the horses have bolted. GOG must not fall into this trap. It must
[Goanet] Adjusting the thinking cap
Two TOI reports today on related subjects and the same old tiresome arguments. Isnt it possible to get off dead centre and make some headway in thinking? Here are excerpts from the two reports and my responses: 1. S Goa Zilla says no to Mopa airport. Excerpts: 'Two airports are not economically viable in Goa. The government is fooling the people by saying that both airports will continue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi had assured that Dabolim would be upgraded by spenmding Rs 500 crores. We demand that the government live up to the assurance... Let us know the facts regarding the status of Mopa as well as Dabolim'. Response: This is not too bad really. The argument is backasswards and just requires a reversal in the sequence. Sure let's ask for the facts about Mopa and Dabolim. And sure let's ask for the Centre's adherence to its promise at Dabolim. Only THEN would we be in a position to conclude if two airports are viable in Goa or not! They are putting the cart before the horse. 2. UGDP ups ante against Mopa airport. [Matanhy Saldanha] warned the gathering not to believe those who say that both Dabolim and Mopa will co-exist ...Anton Gaonkar stated that Goans will never allow Dabolim airport to be closed.. 'If the Navy so desires, let it go to Sea Bird at Karwar or construct a new air [base] at Canacona. Better still let the navy got to Mopa ', Gaonkar said. Response: This is all meaningless. Saldanha is putting his word against that of the government. He should give reasons for his skepticism. Gaonkar's commitment to Dabolim civil enclave is commendable but his options for the Navy are totally unreal. The only feasible ones are Seabird/Karwar and/or reconfiguring naval flight operations at Dabolim. Its time people gave sensible and fresh thought to the issues instead of just flying off their handles and sounding ad nauseam like broken records.Is this mental rigidity symptomatic of what is at the root of Goa's multifarious but petty problems?
[Goanet] Adjusting the thinking cap
PhilipYou had mentioned about there being a need to have a distance of 150 kms between twoairports. What is the basis for this law?In the US, a city such as New York has three airports within a distanceof 150 kms. So, this law seems ridiculous and if at all there is one, one would liketo know the justification for it. Goa can very well do with two airports, I feel, provided of courseMopa does not mean Dabolim will close down. regards,Samir Hi Samir: Thanks for the response to the previous post on non-metro airports. This 150 km separation rule seems to have originated here about 10 years ago. Maybe in the wake of the experience with Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) where the civil enclave at a naval base was closed. Subsequently it was applied to Dabolim in advance and to BIAL and HIAL when their projects started. The purpose is clearly to provide a monopoly to the airport developer -- and a hook to let off the military at the respective civil enclaves. It may also kick in when and if the planned new airports emerge in Pune and Vishakhapatnam where too there are busy civil enclaves in operation. The airport developers in Bangalore never tire of insisting that only places like London and New York with their humungous traffic levels qualify for multi-airport systems. Tokyo, Paris and other places in advanced countries also have multi-airport systems. Recently there was a report that indicated that Sao Paulo in Brazil (an LDC) has not just 2 airports but as many as 4! We need more examples of the latter. Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport which was in the news recently for a horrific crash is very centrally located too maybe like Begumpet, HAL and Dabolim.. I was interested to learn the other day that the NDA government which negotiated with BIAL in 2003/4 was only prepared to go as far as endeavouring to close HAL airport in Bangalore. Praful Patel who came in with the UPA in 2004 was the one who caved in to their insistence to close HAL once BIAL was up and running. HIAL followed suit in Hyderabad. Now GOG has asked the centre to review the Union Cabinet decision of 2000 to close Dabolim when Mopa is ready. As in Bangalore and Hyderabad there will be some sugar coating to the effect that general aviation, charters -- and military flights -- would continue. General aviation would refer to VVIP flights. Aam aadmi would have to take a hike -- to distant (and costly) points to catch a flight. Costly because now the fashion at greenfeild -- and even modernised AAI -- airports is to charge exorbitant user developmen fees (UDF). Taxi charges also are sky high, not to mention hours to reach the new destinations. Dabolim must be kept open. It depends critically on the design, build-up, financing pattern etc of Mopa. It would all be completely opposite to the airport development experience so far (except at Bombay and Delhi). GOG would have a tough time making this happen. But that is the only way out. The trouble is mega projects have their huge and well known attractions to pols for money making. People will just have to insist on transparency and rectitude as you suggested in a recent post on Mopa. But people also have to think straight and in a progressive way (rather than the retrogressive way I was pointng out to). All very difficult but there is the exciting prospect of charting a new path in India. Cheers.
[Goanet] Non metro airports face crisis
1.There is just one landing strip in Dabolim, and the same strip has tobe crossed by planes for parking. Incidently, even there is a roadpassing through that strip, and cars and bikes also cross that stripbetween landings of two planes. :-)I have witnessed even a 45 minuteswait before getting parking for the plane. [Samir Kelekar] The crossing of the Dabolim runway by people and vehicles is due to the Naval premises on either side. There seem to be two such points. If one of them is given up then the apron for aircraft parking can be increased and congestion over the air reduced. 2.Do you know that a city called Hosur which is in Tamil Nadu is much closerto Electronic City of Bangalore IT corridor than the current airportis ? Jayalalitha had grand plans to develop Hosur into an IT city, butshe lost the elections. If a good airport comes in Hosur, no one from Electronics City wouldwant to go to the new Bangalore airport, which is about 3 hours minimumfrom there. Hosur is just half an hour from Electronic city. There is the rule against airports coming up within 150 km of the new one. This airport would run up against it. Unless the interpretation is that the rule stops at the state boundary. The same thing applies to Dabolim and the rumoured airport at Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. All this has to be clarified by the Goa government which is pre-occupied by everything else other than the state's long term future. People also are least bothered even to discuss (only argue).
[Goanet] Game theory (contd)
In our series on playing with the Bangalore analogue to get Mopa right, here is a telling comment in TOI (Blr) which we may need to pay heed to. In an article Will [Infosys mentor] Murthy come back on board of BIAL? it says 'Murthy was on the board when the company had a different standing. Forcefully shutting down HAL airport for commercial operations, **to open one which has nothing international about it**, has irked the public, and Murthy may not want to be associated with it, said sources.' http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Will_Murthy_come_back_on_board_of_ BIAL/rssarticleshow/3319744.cms The bit about opening an airport which has nothing international about it could be hype as far as Blr is concerned but it could well be the story at Mopa. We have already observed that chartered flights to Goa may not be more than a handful a day that too only during the season. The scheduled international flights are sporadic and mainly with the PSU carrier(s) flying to Gulf (which are on again and off again from what we can tell). Then there is the recent hearsay about diverting international flights from Mumbai to Mopa. Which would these be if they are to carry only flyers who want to travel to/from Goa? It is ridiculous to plan for an international airport off the bat at Mopa. It can only grow into one over a decade or two. Will this ever get into the heads of our bumble ministers and the soon to be appointed Mopa airport steering committee?
[Goanet] Naval gazing
'Russian aircraft carrier could cost India USD 2 bn more' New Delhi, Aug 1 : India could end up paying a staggering USD 2 billion more for a Russian aircraft it has bought from Russia for USD 1.5 billion, a defence ministry source said Friday. http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-5162.html The cost of the sea trials have shot up considerably because of the sharp rise in fuel prices. This apart, much more cabling needs to be done than was originally estimated, the source pointed out. This apart, considerable work needs to be done on strengthening the deck since it will be **operating heavier aircraft than it was intended to deploy when it was originally built**, the source addedThe Vikramaditya, originally named Admiral Gorshkov, has been mired in controversy ever since the $1.5 billion deal for the ship was signed in 2004. Of this, a little over $900 million was to spent on refurbishing the ship and the balance on the MiG-29K Fulcrum fighters and the Kamov Ka-27 Helix-A and Ka-31 Helix-B reconnaissance and anti-submarine helicopters that would be deployed on boardIronically, the first of the MiG-29s will begin arriving later this year and **will be operated by the Indian Navy on land** from its air station at Dabolim in Goa. So the MiG29K's will be holding the fort at Dabolim till the carrier shows up on the Indian horizon in a few years! Smart thinking, right? The navy's priorities are very clear. GOG is no match at all in the brains department -- at least not yet.
[Goanet] Now hear ye
Continuation of Two flights of fancy, Game theory etc posts. Centre for probe into BIAL lapses. http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug42008/state2008080382608.asp When opinion was sought on the decision of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to set up a House Committee to look into the alleged violation of terms and conditions by the promoter company, officials indicated that the [civil aviation] ministry's stand may not be much different from that of state government. They, however, refused to comment on the Assembly's demand. Speaking to Deccan Herald on the condition of anonymity, ministry officials pointed out that over the last few months, both the state and the ministry shared similar opinion on different aspects such as facilities, second terminal and runway, need for HAL airport to continue etc. The ministry was of the opinion that the two governments together held 26 per cent stake (13 per cent each) at the BIAL and they can influence any decision at BIAL board in a major way. We can also block any decision if we think it is not good for the airport, officials added. **The airport capacity and the facilities cannot be unilateral decision of promoters. At the board level, it has to be unanimous.** The BIAL would be answerable to the state government if the House Committee directs the government to take certain decisions on the airport, they added. Now get a load of this nugget regarding real estate earnings of airports which follows: The BIAL has returned the surplus 400-odd acre to KSIIDC (state government), ministry sources said. Interestingly, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports are not liable to act like Delhi and Mumbai airports in sharing the non-aeronautical revenue. **Delhi and Mumbai airports have to transfer 30 per cent of their non-aeronautical revenue to aeronautical purposes but this clause is not applicable to the two southern airports.** Thus, suppose the two operators develop real estate, the entire returns go to the promoters' kitty without any obligation. It is not so in Delhi and Mumbai where they have to spend 30 per cent of non-aeronautical revenue on giving facilities to airlines and passengers. This means, there will be cross-subsidy and passengers and airlines get benefited, officials pointed out. At the same time, **the ministry is now planning to make the Delhi and Mumbai experience uniform to the country in future**. We will include the cross-subsidisation clause in the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Bill which is before the Parliament, officials added. **Bangalore and Hyderabad airports cannot be bound by this as they operate under the existing contractual obligations.** On the face of it, the Mumbai and Delhi model should definitely be applicable to Mopa. The Bangalore fiasco must not be repeated in this Goa project. What say?
[Goanet] Switch off auto-pilot, GOG, and get hands on!
Today's TOI has a story titled GPCC panel backs plans for Mopa. In it Francisco Sardinha displays touching faith in the PM's assurance that there should be n doubt regarding two-airpor operation in Goa after the Centre passes a Rs 500 crore budget for Dabolim airport. After? There's many a slip twixt cup and lip, right? The worthies in Goa govt (GOG) would be well avised to switch ff the auto-pilot of plans based on high level assurances and start thinking and managing it themselves. As the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves. As the ICAO itself said in its draft final report (to use NT's characterisation) it is of utmost imprtance for the Government of Goa to establish an airport development strategy for Mopa which is win-win for both the airports, given the small amount of airport traffic of the state. This is what GOG needs to be elaborating on, thoughtfully. Instead it is playing the same old tune of Mopa will be able to offer the facilities available at other international airports which Dabolim has been unable to offer due to space constraints. This suggests problems of passenger terminal space at Dabolim. The runway is fine for jumbo jets, right? When Mopa was proposed back in 1998, it was suspected that the purpose was a combination of political greed and military craft. The same seems to hold true today too given the peristence over an international airport mega project. It is going to be doubtful if the so-called steering committee which is suposed to be announced any day will do any thing other than its master's bidding.
[Goanet] Switch off auto-pilot, GOG, and get hands on!
As the ICAO itself said in its draft final report (to use NT'scharacterisation) it is of utmost imprtance for the Government of Goa toestablish an airport development strategy for Mopa which is win-win forboth the airports, given **the small amount of airport traffic** of the state. This is what GOG needs to be elaborating on, thoughtfully. Instead it isplaying the same old tune of Mopa will be able to offer the facilitiesavailable at other international airports which Dabolim has been unable tooffer due to space constraints. .[self] In a meeting with a Goa University faculty a short while ago (in some other connection) I heard a rather bewildering take on this. He said that the plan is to divert international traffic from Mumbai to Mopa! To my knowledge, there has been no hint of that so far anywhere. The ICAO report also does not suggest this though there may be some reference to (surface) traffic to/from mofussil towns like Ratnagiri, Sangli and Kolhapur in Maharashtra and Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum in Karnataka. I said that if what he said was true then Goa was right in arguing that Mopa would benefit Maharashtra more. Anyway, it may be advisable to keep a weather eye on any moves to beef up Mopa traffic in the way the GU prof mentioned. The NT editorial discussed yesterday had a long discussion of tourism: Tourism represents 10.2 per cent of the World's GDP and 4.8 per cent of India's. For Goa, tourist expenditures alone were estimated to represent 2.5 per cent of the state's GDP. The Tourism Master Plan also indicated that foreign tourists arriving by air spend as much as 5 times the average amount compared to domestic tourists. With the growth of the number of tourist lodgings average tourist expenditures are likely to rise faster than average prices. Nonetheless, the reports underlines, that by beginning 2014, expenditures of foreign arrivals will rise to 6.5 per cent and to 7 per cent by 2024 as hotels and other tourist facilities refurbish to attract up market travellers. How big a boost to foreign tourism is Mopa likely to give and will it be as a result of any diversion from Mumbai? Let's stay glued to those Mopa project radar screens and holler if there is any strange blip -- for Dabolim's sake.
[Goanet] A Positive Gain (NT Editorial)
Forgetting the obvious tautological formulation of the title , and the contradiction in the opening sentence (draft final report!) for a moment, the content of the editorial is insidious to put it mildly. http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=080117 1. It blandly states that [Mopa] will not impair the future of Dabolim airport nor reduce tourist business in South Goa; instead the second airport at Mopa will generate thousands of jobs and add to the strength of the tourism industry. It is also now affirmed that the two airports in Goa could co-exist profitably.. As contended previously (late last year), there is nothing in the draft final report to guarantee that the two airports in Goa could co-exist profitably . Our contention is that the two airports SHOULD coexist, profitably in the case of Mopa and effectively in the case of Dabolim civil enclave but this has to be managed, day to day, year to year for 20 years. From the experience of Hyderabad and Bangalore, it is possible to hide behind an ambiguity like general aviation (euphemism for VVIP flights) to discontinue civil aviation for the aam aadmi at Dabolim. This must be constantly challenged until it is clarified in black and white if a last minute agreement with the Mopa airport developer is not to put paid to it. 2. Dabolim's continuation of civil aviation for the aam aadmi depends critically on the business model, facility design and build-up over time as discusse ad nauseam on goanet. The picture regarding these aspects is as confusing as ever in the NT editorial: Mopa, with the number of air travellers at 71,824 per year, will generate 14,552 direct and 19,762 indirect jobs by 2015. The number of air travellers seems to be wrong. It works out to only 200 per day according to NT! Meanwhile the figures about employment are higher than those given earlier viz 8000 per year. Besides, most of these may be in construction. Nobody wants a flood of migrants, right? Let's get the exact break up, ok? No other figures regarding the project cost, state government's financial liability and responsibilities regarding provision of utilities (see my post on Game theory) are touched upon by NT. 3. The concerns of hotels and businesses in the southern parts of Goa suffering a drop in clientele owing to the coming up of Mopa have to be addressed by the government by giving a fast road connectivity from various points between North and South Goa. The connectivity should not remain a [mere?] promise. This is all well and good. But it can cut two ways. It can provide valuable connectivity to/from all parts of Goa to a fledgling regional airport at Mopa, i.e. increasing its catchment area. It can also undermine the ability of Dabolim airport (with all its silly constraints) to compete with a full fledged international airport at Mopa and result in inadvertent closure of Dabolim civil enclave against the wishes of the people and a laissez faire government. The connectivity issue is critically tied to the business model of Mopa and the rate of upgradation of Dabolim civil enclave (which tends to go in fits and starts). Besides, as we pointed out earlier, upgradation at a cost of hundreds of crores is no guarantee that Dabolim will not be closed at the request of an airport developer in Mopa. This has actually happened in Bangalore. Goans who want to keep Dabolim open for historical and practical reasons have to watch their step at every stage -- and make sure the Government of Goa is on its toes too. Its just common sense though a lot of sweat and sleepless nights will be required. 4.The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) of the project takes into account the environmental issues and suggests corresponding mitigation measures...if there are still concerns, the government must address them. I dont know what EMP is beng talked about apart from the usual meteorological, drainage et al issues. Claude Alvares was once reported to have said no environmental impact assessment (which I take to mean impact on flaura, fauna, water supply, air pollution during construction etc) has been made for the Mopa airport project. It stands to reason that a small airport growing slowly and steadily will creat less environmental disturbance than a mega project completed on a crash basis. These are some of the concerns which crop up off hand due to the NT editorial. There must be an active debate to get the business model, design and build-up of the Mopa airport right to ensure that Dabolim civl enclave is not doomed to closure by carelessness resulting from complacency, generated, in turn, by such superficial editorials.
[Goanet] Game theory
This in continuation of the two-flights-of-fancy game introduced earlier to get a hang of the Mopa airport project. For those joining us here, the idea is, firstly, to check out actual reports of new airports (usually Bangalore) and try it out for size as far as Goa is concerned. The next step is to figure out how different this virtual idea of Mopa would be if Dabolim civil enclave was, according to Goa govt's own promise, not closed by design (as the civil enclaves in Bangalore and Hyderabad were) but remained open to civilian traffic, indefinitely, and Mopa had to remain viable for the entire duration, say 20 years. Hint: it may have to be down-sized at start-up as a specialist facility and expanded carefully and modularly over time. Here is some new information about Bangalore (from two reports on the same subject), in this connection. It throws fresh light on the state government's role in what was ostensibly a PPP project. Goa government's feet may have to be held to this kind of fire well in advance of the signing of any agreements with potential Mopa airport builders. That is the purpose of this post. Land acquisition can continue with the usual eagle eye on scams, if any. House panel to probe lack of amenities at airport Special Correspondent Bangalore: The State Government on Thursday agreed to the demand of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly to constitute a House Committee to probe the poor amenities at the Bengaluru International Airport which was opened for flight operations on May 24 last. Minister for Tourism G. Janardhan Reddy said the Government had agreed to the demand of former Minister D.K. Shivakumar and others who sought to move an adjournment motion on the conditions at the airport. Speaker Jagadish Shettar will announce the members of the House panel in due course. Opposition members demanded a House Committee to probe the alleged violation of the agreement by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and its failure to provide even basic amenities such as toilets and seats to passengers. **Mr. Shivakumar urged the State Government to annul the agreement and acquire the airport**. He alleged that the BIAL was interested in amassing money utilising the concessions given by the Union and State governments. Supported by the Leader of Opposition M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah and Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli (Congress), he said that the Government would have to forfeit only Rs.150 crore if it cancelled the agreement. The Government could decide, after the House Committee gave its report, on annulling the agreement or asking the airport to upgrade the facilities. They alleged that the airport had no facilities compared to the Hyderabad international airport, and passengers, including VIPs, were put to hardship. Charging the company with cheating the governments, Mr. Shivakumar said they committed a blunder by entrusting the work to the consortium. **The government had given 4,075 acres of free land, Rs. 350 crore interest-free loan and stood guarantee for a Rs. 400-crore loan, apart from providing concessions such as tax exemption on materials purchased by it. He also said that the State Government had given uninterrupted supply of water and power and would have to waive certain fees to the extent of Rs. 185 crore in the near future. He said that the company would make a fortune by selling the land, the market rate of which was around Rs. 5 crore. The company, he said, would earn Rs.150 crore and Rs. 600 crore from parking fees and advertisements also.** http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/01/stories/2008080153310400.htm House committee to probe BIAL lapses DH News Service, Bangalore: The State government has decided to set up a House Committee to look into the alleged violation of terms and conditions by the Bangalore International Airport Limited ( BIAL) during the construction of the Bengaluru International Airport. Members in the Legislative Assembly, cutting across party affiliations, on Thursday alleged that the construction work of the new airport was substandardTo the surprise of the Opposition members, Janardhana Reddy said he completely agreed with their views and seconded their demand for rectifying the lapses. The House Committee will comprise members from both the ruling and Opposition parties. http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug12008/scroll2008080182143.asp?section =updatenews
[Goanet] Two flights of fancy (contd)
About three weeks ago I had proposed a thought-experiment, a brain storming exercise regarding the Mopa airport project. The first step was to review an actual report about one of India's newly operational airports (Bangalore or Hyderabad) to see how it would fit with ideas about Mopa as presently being planned. The next step was to imagine what the story would be like if Mopa and Dabolim both operated in tandem for civilian flights (i.e. Dabolim civil enclave was NOT closed on some contractual basis and to all intents and purposes of the government it was expected to continue to function as before). In yesterday's TOI, there was a report in which UGDP's acting president accused the Congress leaders of fooling the Goans [with an offer] of keeping both airports operational. Such an offer cannot be accepted in the lighht of the fact that the old airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad are facing closure on inauguration of new airports. Let's ignore the point that UGDP is a bit behind times regarding Bangalore and Hyderabad airports since they are both already functionng and the old airports have in fact been closed in both places. But UGDPs idea about comparing and learning from Bangalore and Hyderabad is a good sign and one can build on it. Here is a recent report on Bangalore airport on which the proposed two flights of fancy exercise can be repeated. http://management.silicon.com/itdirector/0,39024673,39265482,00.htm Bumpy landing for Bangalore's airport dream Leave three hours to get there. By Saritha Rai Published: 30 July 2008 11:28 BST There were high hopes for Bangalore's multimillion dollar air hub, which opened in May. But locating it in a near wilderness without a decent road was not a great start, says Saritha RaiThe new airport was first conceived 17 years ago, when Bangalore was not even a blip on the globalisation map. In the past decade, as the government dithered monumentally, the city has turned into a verb - being Bangalored means your job is being offshored - and air traffic to and from the city had grown some 300 per cent, far above initial projections. Dozens of multinationals such as Google, HSBC, IBM, Microsoft and Tesco have large operations in the city. This year, some 11 million passengers will fly in and out of the airport and the technology outsourcing industry will account for a chunk of that. Yet if air traffic growth has been fuelled by the business traveller, why is the new airport located in near wilderness, far from these businesses?...Certainly, the new facility is an improvement on the embarrassment that was Bangalore's old airport. In the words of a frequent traveller, it resembled a Greyhound bus station in a US town rather than an airport. The airport was so cramped that the wait to clear immigration and customs and to retrieve baggage was interminable. Travellers eventually found their way out, only to be hounded by private taxi operators who fell on them like a pack of wolves. Some allowances may need to be made for the fact that Bangalore air traffic is business driven while Goa's is tourism driven (that too mostly domestic in numerical terms). But the issue of distance from South Goa beaches and hotels is analogous in an aviation sense to Bangalore and its Electronics City. The crucial question is what would the new Mopa airport look like if it is designed, built and operated to function in an economicall viable way alonside the old airport (Daboli civil enclave). Go ahead and think about it and if possible share your views. You can at least say you were not snoozing when Goa was set to go on the skids.
[Goanet] WHO WILL HOLD CM ACCOUNTABLE FOR TRANSPARENCY?
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Tri Continental Film Festival 2008 July 25 - 30, 2008 Goa, India http://www.moviesgoa.org/page/tri_continental/ http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricon/schedule_2008.pdf --- Today's TOI had two reports on the same subject. One said Govt to put Mopa work on fast track. The other, on the front page, said Land acquisition for Mopa starts. It is reported that acquisition of about 1800 acres of land for the airport proper is being restarted at Mopa after going on for 5 years. Simultaneously another 220 acres of land are being acquired for the approach road. The process is being fast tracked on the basis of trhe ICAO report which said Dabolim would be saturated by 2012-13. There is, however, no information about when the land acquisition would be completed. But there is a plan to appoint a new steering committee for Mopa airport within one week. I wonder if Goa is on the fast track to a first rate fiasco. It is one thing to speed up the land acquisition for the airport and approach road. It is an altogether different matter to put up the airport on a Big Bang basis in just a few years. For one thing, the ICAO data are as of 2005 or 2006 when air traffic growth rates in India and Goa were at their peak. They have since subsided considerably due to the spike in crude oil prices and hence ATF and air fares. So the expected saturation at Dabolim may be put off for a few more years at least. Goa needs to know how the CM plans to keep his promise to keep Dabolim open while Mopa is being operated. What about the slogan Mopa yes, but not at the cost of Dabolim? We need to know whether the planned design and business model of Mopa is likely to put Dabolim out of business, intentionally or unintentionally. This has to be out in the public domain and not foisted on the unsuspecting Goa populace at the last minute. A fraud is quite likely to be perpetrated which will ruin Goa's economy and society for all time. Where are all the land scam experts who should be throwing some light on the re-starting of the acquisition process? Most importantly, who is going to hold the CM and his steering committee accountable for transparency on the plan for Mopa? What happened to all the saviours and redeemers of Goa? Sleeping soundly? Ha!
[Goanet] Tony Fernandes, Indian military 'paranoia' and Asian low cost aviation
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2008 Toronto International Goan Convention Theme: Goan Identity And Networking Today. http://2008goanconvention.com/index.php Mario Miranda Festival, July 24-26, 2008 Old GMC Building http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-July/077732.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Asian carriers' wings clipped July 26, 2008 Budget airlines are taking off across Asia, but their future is under a cloud from soaring crude prices. http://business.smh.com.au/business/asian-carriers-wings-clipped-20080725-3l 0y.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3 The most successful of these, Malaysia's Air Asia, is as faithful a facsimile of Richard Branson's Virgin as are the bodgy Rolexes and DVDs of Asia's lawless bazaars. Indeed, Air Asia's youthful Eurasian chief executive, Tony Fernandes, seems to have closely followed Branson, right down to his airline's fire-engine red livery and uniforms, funky PR attitude and even a monolithic flag-carrying state carrier as primary competitor. Fernandes was even a record industry executive in a former life at - you guessed it - Virgin. Also a self-promoter like Branson, Fernandes launched Air Asia just two months after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when few wanted to fly. Seven years and myriad 1 ringgit (32c) fare offers later, it's grown to be about three-quarters the size of state-owned Malaysia Airlines System and is much more fun to fly. Air Asia is expected to best Kuala Lumpur's lumbering MAS by 2010 in every industry measure; destinations served, profit and size of fleet. The best thing going for Air Asia is what it is not, a tool of government. Malaysian leaders liked to carry MAS in their diplomatic goodie bag, handing out routes willy-nilly for the photo opportunity when visiting fellow potentates in, say, Tunisia. MAS bosses were left with profitless schedules while Fernandes's fleet scoots off to places Malaysians actually want to visit. But in no country in Asia has the low-cost carrier expansion boomed louder than in India, which, with miserable infrastructure, was about the worse place it could have happened. As India deregulated its licence raj corporate sector, about a dozen new airlines have launched there in recent years. That's been great for Indians, who once regarded air travel as a maharajah's pleasure. But it has woefully overburdened airports that were already bedlam even when there were just three: the state-owned domestic carrier Indian Airlines, now merged with its big international sister, Air India; the first of the upstarts, Jet Airways; and bizarrely, the carrier that actually sprung from aviation roots, Air Deccan, which was regarded by Indians as the worst of the lot - maybe one reason why it was cheapest. Thankfully, Deccan was recently put out of its misery by India's United Breweries, better known to curry lovers as the brewer of Kingfisher beer.India's crowded skies aren't helped by a paranoid military. It insists planes must not fly over strategic sites - which it deems to be just about everywhere Pakistan might be peeking, which is just about everywhere. So Indian carriers fly very narrow air corridors, where they occasionally go close to bumping into each other. I desperately hope it does not happen, but **Indian aviation might be an accident poised to happen** Here in Goa we (should) know about Tony Fernandes -- and the military. But for some reason there is a mental block about aviation, low cost or otherwise! --- http://www.GOANET.org --- Tri Continental Film Festival 2008 July 25 - 30, 2008 Goa, India http://www.moviesgoa.org/page/tri_continental/ http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricon/schedule_2008.pdf ---
[Goanet] A crucial new role for new Governor
Some very useful food for thought in today's TOI story headlined Dr Sidhu sworn in governor. As previously reported Sidhu has served as Secretary General, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an organ of United Nations, Canada, from 1988 to 1991 and has also headed our public sector carriers. But first some additional details from the Hindu's report on the event. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200807212074.htm An IAS officer of 1952 batch, Sidhu was born on October 13, 1929. He has served as Secretary to three Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and as District Magistrate, Kanpur, and was also the Divisional Commissioner of Agra. In the Central government, he has served as Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and held various other important positionsSidhu has authored several books including Steel Industry in India: Problems Perspective, Aviation and Sustainable Tourism: Emerging Trends, New Horizons in Travel and Tourism: Asian Approach. Now to revert to the TOI report. It seems the new Governor is keenly interested in tourism in general and in Goa in particular. Dr Sidhu singled out tourism as the main sector for socio-economic development in Goa. But he said tourism should be sustainable, responsible and community based. Dr Sidhu said tourism in Goa sould be based on a balance of interests between environment and economy Goa needs to identify its own brand image and develop it. What is exceedingly interesting to me is the following Sidhu quote: Tourism and aviation are two sides of the same coin. Tourism cannot develop without aviation support. What does this imply for Goa's brand of tourism up till now, given all the chronic distortions and contortions at Dabolim civil enclave? Next point made by Gov.Sidhu: Goa needs a world class airport and I understand Goa already has a proposal for it. Does this imply that the good governor is in favour of Mopa and shutting down Dabolim civil enclave? If so, it may be worrisome. However there is a ray of hope. He has commended the CM and his team for his/their ability. As we all know the CM's committee has proposed two airports for Goa as broadly envisaged by ICAO, the U.N. organisation which Sidhu-sab headed 20 years ago. The following crucial observation in the TOI story has been attributed to Sidhu: There are several viewpoints on the airport BUT THERE MUST BE CONVERGENCE ON THOSE VIEWPOINTS FOR DEVELOPMENT (emphasis mine). This is where the new Governor's new role enters the picture. Can he, with his vast knowledge of aviation and tourism, facilitate the required convergence on two airports in the disjointed debate in Goa? Perhaps he can organise and preside (benignly) over a series of seminars on the aviation-centric development of Goa. All of Goa will be grateful to him in future decades if he can do this and move the state off dead center in aviation and according, to his own logic, (environmentally and heritage sensitive) tourism and development. One other thing: the TOI report quotes Gov.Sidhu as saying: I will be accessible. Anybody can meet me. Some intrepid goanetter should try to ensure that he is Web enabled -- and checks out goanet every once in a while.
[Goanet] Panic attack ... or first signs of wisdom?
1. Personally, I think this Mopa-Dabolim wrangling is not necessarily a bad thing. Delaying the decision making process means that there is one less trough for some of the corrupt politicians to feed out off. Let the struggle continue!!Marlon (Menezes) We are not babes in the woods, ok? But given such a cynical attitude, what can we expect? Still, let us give Marlon the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there are some nuggets of wisdom in his post after all. In fact one is there in the immediately preceding sentence: If Goa does decide to proceed with a new airport, it needs to do it right, right from the start I endorse this view whole-heartedly. I have been pleading for it on goanet and in HERALD for months to no avail. Now, at least, someone has provided a start. Hopefully others will be encouraged to chip in and give shape to what is eventually best for Goa. 2.During this peak [Christmas] period, it is not only Dabolim, but much of Goa's infrastructure that is unable to effectively deal with the onslaught of people. Not getting into the issues of Goa's tourism strategy, I think it would make more sense forGoa to invest in its own internal infrastructure than its points of entry for the rest of the world. As previously observed Goa cannot afford the luxury of either/or. It has to do both in the right mix. Invest in internal infrastructure as well as the points of entry for the rest of the world. The two intersect crucially at airports (and train/bus stations and ports). The only antidote is to remember (as Marlon said) to get things right first time and keep at it, persistently and determinedly. 3.Why should the much larger domestic market be made to endure the access difficulties, while the smaller international sector have the benefits of easieraccess?What we have here is a situation where political interests in Dabolim and Mopa are pushing for their airports. Not accounting for the fact that resources will be spread too thin, if Goa ends up with two airports, we will have two mediocre facilities - onethat is constrainted by space or military controls andthe other that is not easily accessible. This may be a bit confusing. Let me clarify. When I said Mopa should be a 'regional airport' I had in mind a small facility that would cater initially to Tier II town traffic in its hinterland with links to 'secondary' airports (if any) elsewhere in the country. The main domestic traffic would continue at Dabolim (as would the international charters). This arrangement should assuage the objections of HASG Co ( read Churchll Alemao). Mopa would grow organically and not in a hot house as in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Note that the argument about spreading resources etc is sheer hype. Goa government would not be investing in Dabolim's upgrade and Mopa would be a PPP project. But, sure, it would stretch Goa government's meager intellectual resources. These however do not suffer from diminishing returns. They dont get used up with use. Rather they increase with use! Btw, Gov Sidhu has come out openly in favour of continuing the Dabolim civil enclave (just as his ex-organisation ICAO recommended. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=7283cid=2 About the Dabolim airport, he said though it is a defence airport, it needs to be continued with even after the PPP one is commissioned. Hopefully he means as a user-firendly facility for the aam admi and not just for occasional VVIPs as at HAL and Begumpet nowadays. 4.I fail to see the logic in Philip's comments. If Dabolim can be upgraded and expanded, why would therebe a need for another airport at Mopa? Conversely, if the upgrades being done will not meet the projected needs of Goa's future traffic, then why should scare resources be put into a dead horse We all know what the problems of expanding and upgrading Dabolim are, right? Besides, it is myopic to regard Dabolim civil enclave as a dead horse. Just see how the people in Bangalore and to a lesser extent Hyderabad are crying for the re-opening of their civil enclaves. Nothing must be done, inadvertently even, to close Dabolim civil enclave when Mopa is planned and operated. That is the bottom line. N.B. Inadvertently covers a very, very wide canvass of business modeling, design, expansion, financing, operating etc decisions which Goa government must be alive to at every stage, especially the outset, and in a truly enlightened way.
Re: [Goanet] FW: Panic attack ... or first signs of wisdom?
Here is a reply I got to a fwd of my goanet post from a journo who writes on aviation in Business Standard. She has previously written (glowing) accounts about the new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad, (trashing the old civil enclaves roundly in the process). I am confused. Do the Goan people in general feel that the old airport should be closed and a new one made at Mopa ? Why/why not ? **Forget what the politicians are saying.** I just want to know what Goans feel and the logic behind their choice. Since you are there, you may have an idea. What reply do I give people who ask such questions (which to me seem like stone-walling for some unknown reason )? Would appreciate goanetters' inputs, if any.
[Goanet] Panic attack ... or first signs of wisdom?
Today's Times of India has a story headlined Dabolim's closure will hit economy: Its fate has given rise to mixed reactions. This seems to be a fall out of the Herald report (see my post of July 18th). The TOI report, which highlights the views of some people in high places, is a stark illustration of the onset of either a panic attack or the dawning of some wisdom, however faint. Curtorim MLA Reginald Lourenco (probably an ally of Churchill Alemao, PWD Minister) says flatly that Dabolim will be shut down (despite the CM's call for two airports in Goa?). The report doesnt offer his reasoning which could back up his claim. Meanwhile, Jose Philip D'Souza the Vasco MLA says [Dabolim's] closure is unthinkable and absurd. He may be in for a huge surprise unless he gets on the learning curve of airport development in India (more about this later). However, Cortalim MLA Mauvin Godinho, Deputy Speaker, is relying on the 'insurance' of Rs 480 crores upgradation funds promised for Dabolim. There is no question of even speculating [on] Dabolim's closure. He too may be in for a big surprise. This is because the pumping in of big sums for the upgradation of HAL airport in Bangalore did not deter the government a all from signing on the dotted line to close it when the new airport was ready. Despite protests from the end of last year, this closure was effected at the end of May 2008 just as Hyderabad's Begumpet was closed in March. The developers had water-tight legal papers. It turns out that, (according to AAI, no less), HAL's capacity was a whopping 7.5 million passengers per annum, not the piddling 3.8 million claimed by the new airport developer (which has begun with only about 10 million). HAL airport is practically a ghost town now. What a waste of valuable airport capacity when there is air space congestion all around! The people of the Vasco area like Godinho, D'souza and Lourenco, should be very worried. And those of the rest of Goa too. As for Dabolim, it has a 3000 m jumbo jet runway. Who invested in its extension over the years from 2000 m in the 1960s? What will it be used for if it is closed? The occasional VIP flights for a Goa holiday! And of course the daily training flights of jets which are supposed to operate from 300 m carrier decks! Who knows, one day an Indian space shuttle may land at Dabolim since it would be lying unused! What is the way out? The TOI report says Churchill Alemao [is] in his mission to ensure Dabolim airport does not close. So far (since 2005) this been nothing other than blocking Mopa airport from seeing the light of day. He may be taking a more enlightened view now although one cant be too sure of such a thing from him. Perhaps he accepts that the government is committed to two airports. What he has to ensure is that Mopa does not lead to Dabolim's closure by default. This can happen for the following reasons described in my July 18 post. If the airport access continues to be a problem (as in Bangalore andHyderabad) then the developers will insist on a provision to close Dabolim when Mopa is ready. Otherwise no one will use Mopa and it will be a white elephant (as especially Bangalore would have been without it). **If closure is not assured and access is a problem then Mopa cannot be an international airport but more likely a regional one albeit with future aspirations to be international**. If access is also taken care of then Dabolim would be at risk of closure as airlines would switch over to Mopa. So all should push for a regional airport at Mopa. This will not duplicate Dabolim's traffic (and vacuum it away) but rather supplement/expand it in Goa's interest. The initial investment will not be outlandish but there would be a need to expand, upgrade, invest etc every few years as traffic (hopefully) grows. (This means the required/available Mopa land has to be securely banked for the future). Meanwhile Dabolim would also upgrade and invest (hopefully a bit more speedily than in the past when constraints were pronounced). And the planned highway or expresway development would proceed at its own pace, with maximum quality and minimum corruption. This is the way forward. As mentioned previously people have to be able to view (and shape) the venture in a win-win way (not my rival is benefitting so I should oppose). The problem is that this represents a paradigm shift from the way (two) airports have been developed in India so far. Will Goa have the intellectual and managerial firepower to push the new paradigm through? What the Goa CM said, When there are two airports, let the airlines exercise the option where to land their aircraft, may be exactly the WRONG thing (except in aviation emergencies) and does not inspire confidence! The sooner it gets on the proper aviation learning curve, and moves fast on it, the better for Goa --- and even India!
[Goanet] Dabolim Airport will not be grounded, assures Kamat [Herald]
1.Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat has allayed apprehensions raised over the Dabolim airport following the nod given by the high-level committee for a new airport at Mopa and asserted that the Union government would soon tender bids for construction of a new terminal building at Dabolim on par with international standards. That's not all. Kamat said the Navy has already okayed 2.5 acres of land for expansion of Dabolim airport, adding that modalities are being worked out for the transfer of the land from the Navy to the Airport Authority of India. This has been hanging fire for a long time. It will have to be seen to be believed. 2.The stand of my government is very clear, that the Dabolim airport should be retained as an international airport even after Mopa becomes a reality, Kamat told Herald on Thursday. Kamat himself has said on national TV that Mopa would be international and Dabolim domestic. Herald said the same thing after the Interim Report of the Task Force on RP 2021. 3.He said under no circumstances will the government allow the closure of the Dabolim airport after the new airport at Mopa becomes a reality. In this connection, he pointed out that the high-level committee has inserted a host of conditions in its report recommending Mopa airport, including the condition that the Union cabinet will have to reverse its earlier decision on the closure of the Dabolim airport. The Centre was only politely asked by the high powered committee to review its Cabinet decision of March 2000. 4.Secondly, Kamat said the committee has made it amply clear that the expansion work on the Dabolim airport should be taken up and completed before the new airport comes into existence. In this context, he said Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has issued instructions to the concerned department to float a tender for the construction of a new terminal building at Dabolim. No report to this effect in the media so far. 5.On the question of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as demanded by Public Works Department Minister, Churchill Alemao and many other legislators, the Dabolim Airport will not be grounded, assures Kamat chief minister said Before the government goes for a mode to build the airport, whether on BOOT or otherwise, the government will sign a MoU with the party that Dabolim will continue forever. If the airport access continues to be a problem (as in Bangalore and Hyderabad) then the developers will nsist on a provision to close Dabolim when Mopa is ready. Otherwise non one will use Mopa and it will be a white elephant (as especially Bangalore would have been without it). If closure is not assured and access is a problem then Mopa cannot be an international airport but more likely a regional one albeit with future aspirations to be international. If access is also taken care of then Dabolim would be at risk of closure as airlines would switch over to Mopa. 6.Saying the government is committed to retain the Dabolim airport, Kamat said the Dabolim airport will be expanded at a cost of Rs 400 crore. Asked to comment on apprehensions that the Dabolim airport would be used only as a domestic airport after Mopa becomes a reality, thus affecting tourism in South Goa, Kamat said There is no question of Dabolim being made a domestic airport. It will continue to operate as an international airport. When there are two airports, let the airlines exercise the option where to land their aircraft. See point #2 above regarding domestic and point # 5 about airlines' options. Now Kamat is veering around to a split hub operation. This may not be tenable in this age of acute financial stringency of airlines. They would not be able to duplicate their internationl/domestic oeprations at two places a short distance away. Something would have to give. Kamat has to accept that Goa government would have to play a tricky regulatory role right from the word Go if Mopa and Dabolim are to co-exist for the long haul. It had better gear up for it right away. P.S. For starters it should depute a high level person (or two) to the Aviation Management program at IIM Ahmedabad Sept 21-27, 2008 (Rs 70K) to begin to imbibe the competences required.
[Goanet] Mopa needs to be viewed in a 'win-win' way
Today's TOI had a story headlined Mopa will create jobs, says Cong. The Congress spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said that the new airport at Mopa would create an estimated 7000 jobs and many new vistas for self-employment. There is of course a proforma reference to Dabolim. The Congress always said that Dabolim should co-exist. Obviously this needs to be fleshed out a lot in a convincing way. Thus when he says 7000 jobs will be created by Mopa, he should have added that NO jobs would be LOST at Dabolim civil enclave and in related activities especially inadvertently over the years due to sheer government ineptitude. Then people may be more receptive to the Mopa project. It is time for people to move away from well-worn us vs them cliches about Dabolim or Mopa and talk and act about BOTH in tandem. Is 'win-win' thinking and action alien to Goa?
[Goanet] MOPA AIRPORT - Jitendra Deshprabhu
In order to move with the new airport, ourgovt. should make sure (in writing) that the Dabolim airport will not beclosed. Be more transparent Mr. Jitendra Deshprabhu. The infrastructures in Goa are so bad - be it road, hospital, electricity,water supply. AAM ADMI Govt. should concentrate more on this development.[rocky] The author needs to get real. Where will his bureaucratic nit picking get Goa? Nobody is going to oblige Goa with anything in writing, at least not any time soon. The Goa government has to get with it and fight an uphill battle for its two airport plan. It cant just shut its eyes to airport facilities in this 21st century to concentrate on the petty development listed above. All it has to do at Mopa is to convert its own slogan into reality: Mopa, yes, but not at the cost of Dabolim. That may well be easier said than done. But that's the only choice Goa government actually has. It is caught between a rock (no pun intended) and a hard place. One thing should be absolutely clear: Wishful thinking wont get Goa anywhere.
[Goanet] One (small) step in the right direction
Two reports in TOI on successive days show Goa government is beginning to be able to focus on the airport situation. Yesterday we had Digambar to submit Mopa report in Delhi. It noted that the PM's assent to the Mopa airport proposal was a mere formality. It appears that the main purpose of the move was to re-start land acquisition proceedings at Mopa which had lapsed due to the anti-Mopa political agitation. Today's report is headlined Review plan to shut down Dabolim airport, Centre told. Here we are told that mutation cases involving Dabolim land other than that under the airport's jurisdiction are to be re-studied, ostensibly to facilitate the making of land available for expansion/upgradation purposes. The more significant point is that the committee has requested relevant documents pertaining to the construction of greenfield airports at Hyderabad, Bangalore, Nav(i) Mumbai and Noida so that Goa government could arrive at the best model for Mopa. This step had been mentioned as long as four months ago. It is heartening that Goa Government seems serious about learning from experience elsewhere in India. It should not be overly fazed if it suddenly finds that the tail it is trying to playfully grab is that of a fierce tiger! Regarding the request for a review of the Union Cabinet's March 2000 decision to close Dabolim civil enclave when Mopa is opened, let us realise that Goa's situation is really not much better than Bangalore and Hyderabad's. In the latter, and especially in Bangalore, desperate attempts are being made to re-open the old HAL airport AFTER it was closed according to a similar decision when the contracts for new airports were signed. The developers are sitting on a nearly water-tight legal position in both places. The question for Goa is: who will agree to build a Mopa airport without a similar assurance of Dabolim's closure? And what will the Centre and State do when such a request is made by the developer? According to past form, they will simply cave in. The superficial lesson from the projects cited is that new airports are invariably international ones from Day One. Hence, the same international recipe for Mopa. That's a big mistake which is probably already being made. Goa Government has to be able to think out of the box. In addition to international and domestic it must also think of regional. What's the harm in starting regional and growing over time into international as traffic (at two airports) warrants? The over-riding consideration here would be to ensure that Dabolim civil enclave is not inadvertently closed due to wrong design and start-up decisions at Mopa. But it may not be easy to find a developer who is prepared to take a real long term view of investments and benefits. So far we see only Big Bang artists who pour big money upfront so that they can reap fat profits for the next few decades at the cost of society and the economy. Nor will it be easy by any means for Goa government to invest in a core competence in civil aviation for the sake of its pioneering two airport system. It is not enough for Goa government to look merely at the Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi cases. It should also get information about Pune, Vishakhapatnam and Agra while it is at it. In all three places, civil enclaves are at risk of shut down (just like HAL and Begumpet and, yes, Dabolim) due to planned international airports (the Agra one being linked to the Noida project near Delhi). The bottom line is: Goa cannot afford to follow in their footsteps as far as Dabolim's closure is involved. It has to chart a new direction.
[Goanet] Goa needs to rethink its connectivity
T N Ninan: Power shift WEEKEND RUMINATIONS T N Ninan / New Delhi July 12, 2008 Mumbai has long prided itself on being the country's commercial capital. Maybe the time has finally come for it to give up such notions. For, a news report last week said that, for the first time, there are more airline flights operating out of Delhi than Mumbaithe information on air traffic caps the mounting evidence of a shift in the centre of economic gravity.This is not to argue that Mumbai leads in nothing. It remains the unchallenged king of the financial world, which means banking, insurance, the stock market and much else. It houses the big four of the corporate world (Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla and the two Ambanis). And Mumbai still has many of the charms that it first acquired as a presidency town: a can-do spirit, an excellent work ethic, civility in daily exchanges between people, safety on the streets, a cosmopolitan air that survives the assaults by the Shiv Sena, and a practical approach to living and dealing - all of which compare favourably with Delhi's more complex mix of aggression and brash self-confidenceWhat tilts the scales decisively is the quality of life in the two cities. Delhi has constantly improving civic infrastructure, affordable housing, more sensible rental laws, and reasonable commuting times, whereas Mumbai looks increasingly down at heel and overwhelmed by its problems, and is now unable to cope with its monsoon showers**The harsh truth is that no city can continue to prosper and grow if it is not a transport hub and if it is not a preferred place for living and working,** as Dubai has become. As for Delhi, by 2010 it will almost certainly have the bigger, busier and swankier airport, with a smoother ride into town assured by a new expressway. Almost any visitor's first impressions will be better in Delhi than in Mumbai, and that is half the battle. The harsh truth above applies in spades to Goa. Hence it needs to pull up its socks and, for starters, rethink its air connectivity to Indian cities, both big and small, instead of adopting the favoured ostrich position.
[Goanet] TWO flights of fancy
For those who want a preview of what Mopa airport will be like, here are twoflights of fancy (involving Bangalore's new airport) that one could take atthe cost of a mouse click and a few minutes of old fashioned reading[Self] It seems that for some unknown reason there are problems about merely clicking on the lick provided or even copy-pasting it to open the window. So here is a copy-paste of the full article for interested readers: Far. but fetching Rasheeda Bhagat The Bengaluru International Airport is swank, spacious and a hundred-fold better than the old HAL airport that was cursed by one and all over the last few years. And yet, it has been singularly unlucky in attracting bad press, not always without reason. If ever a signal was required of the great resurgence and confidence of the Indian middle-class, particularly the young Indian professionals, it can be seen at the new airport in Bangalore. Walk into the FB outlet area around 5 p.m. in the domestic departure terminal, where counters such as Taste of India, Barista, Time Out Bar and Cookie Man have been put together, and join the long queues to grab your cup of coffee, a smoothie, or a bite. The large number of youngsters pulling out their wallets, flashing at least half a dozen credit/debit cards. particularly young, unaccompanied women who are travelling on their own and not trailing a husband or a father, and exuding enormous confidence, energy and of course affluence, really warms the heart. One can barely find a table in this dining area, making you wonder why all the four FB outlets had to be bunched together in one place. You realise that it is in the small details of designing as well as its aesthetics and visual appeal that the Hyderabad airport scores over Bangalore. At Shamshabad, the FB outlets are not only separated but also spread over a much larger area. Distance woes! I set out on a tour of the Bangalore airport built by the BIAL (Bangalore International Airport Ltd), fully aware that it has taken a lot of bashing from both the media and a few corporate honchos, with the biggest complaint being on the distance. The harshest criticism has of course come from the IT professionals, many with their headquarters in the electronics city on the Bangalore-Hosur road, for whom the airport commute has become longer and tedious. But initial complaints that this commute takes over three-and-a-half hours were a little exaggerated; about 90-120 minutes is the commuting time for those Bangaloreans who have to traverse a distance of 55-65 km. As mine was just a day-long visit, we took a Meru cab - an air-conditioned Logan car - to Windsor Manor and back, and each way the commuting time was barely 35 minutes for a distance of about 32 km. But then, the time was around noon and one was incredibly lucky with the traffic. It was almost a surreal experience, as one has suffered the notorious Bangalore traffic during peak hours often enough to be petrified of it. It seems, slowly, frequent fliers are getting used to the distance, and some rational thinking is sinking in; if we want world-class airports, we can't expect them to come up - and that too over a sprawling 4,000-acre site - in our neighbourhood. The initial fears of having to leave the home or office six hours ahead of the flight is now gone, but depending on the area in which you live and the time of your flight, you still have to budget for a two-hour airport commute time. An adequate number of air-conditioned Volvo buses from various points in the city are available; more people using these would certainly reduce congestion on Bangalore roads. 'Amazing facilities' So even though cribbing about the distance is common, there are also those who are amazed at this swank new facility. At the Barista outlet in the domestic departure I run into Anisha, who works with Microsoft in Delhi. A frequent flier she is absolutely delighted with this airport; I never thought I would see an airport like this in India which can compare with the best of international airports. look at the shopping area, so many check-in counters. I really love this airport and don't mind the distance, she beams. Vivek Manvi, a Quality Manager with Human Factors International, Mumbai, agrees: This airport is a much-needed break for Bangaloreans who were quite weary with the old and congested HAL Airport. It is spacious, has many more check-in counters which means shortened queues at check-in; thanks to wi-fi, I can catch up on my e-mail and surf the Net while waiting for my flight. You can enjoy piping hot cappuccino at Barista, or down a drink or two at the Time Out Bar in the domestic area or the Kingfisher Bar in the International space. Those so inclined can shop to their heart's content at the Shopper's Stop outlet. But as someone who needs to travel frequently, he frowns upon the distance: It takes me nearly two hours from my office at Koramangala to the new airport at Devanahalli. Also, though it is
[Goanet] TWO flights of fancy
Soon the former Secretary-General of International Civil AviationOrganisation [or ICAO], Mr. S.S. Sidhu, will be the Governor of Goa.ICAO did the feasibility study of Mopa Airport. That is no bull.Mopa airpot features on page 72 of the Interim Report of the TaskForce on Regional Plan for Goa 2021.[Miguel Braganza] 1. Here are some details of the new Governor's civil aviation background from the ICAO website which I had posted on goanet on July 8. He was also the Chief Delegate of the Indiandelegation to a number of international conferences and was electedPresident of the Twenty-sixth Session of the ICAO Assembly in 1986. While hewas Director of India's Civil Aviation Administration (February 1985 toOctober 1987), he also served as Chairman of Air India and Indian Airlinesand as Secretary to the Government in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Dr.Sidhu was appointed Secretary General of the Organization on 1 August 1988and served for a period of three years Note that all this was around 20 years ago. The global and Indian civil aviation scenes then may have been quite placid compared to what they are today. I dont know how much interest the worthy has in aviation matters nowadays. More importantly, I dont think he will have much of a role to play officially in Goa's Mopa project except, maybe, to preside over some foundation stone laying function or the like. 2. ICAO, meanwhile, seems as bureaucratic as ever after the intervening 20 years. It produced the above mentioned feasibility report on Mopa in 2005 as a replacement for Dabolim with no mention about the latter whatsoever. Due to the storm created by HASG and its spokesman Churchill Alemao over this a high-powered committee was formed by the Prime Minister to go into the issue of two airports in Goa. This committee duly asked ICAO to revisit its findings and report back. This was done a year later in mid-2007. ICAO reluctantly agreed to the continuation of Dabolim on social and political (as opposed to purely economic) grounds. It however said nothing about the humungous management implications of a two-airport system. Perhaps secretly it believed that Mopa would prevail by default (i.e. mismanagement/misgovernance) if not design (i.e. closure of Dabolim civil enclave by the existing formal decree). 3. Yes, Mopa does figure in the Interim report of the Task Force on RP2021 chaired by the CM. As per my post on this subject Blindspot in Regional Plan 2021 on May 27, The Task Force has completely inverted the [transportation pyramid] and neglected aviation almost completely. To add fuel to the fire, its view (reported on May 4 by HERALD) that Dabolim should be a 'national' (domestic) airport while Mopa should be 'international' is not supported by any reasoning whatsoever. The only purpose this formulation serves is to make Mopa a big project (if it is international it has got to be big, right?) because the actual international flights per day are minimal even if charters are included. A big Mopa will only suck domestic traffic out of Dabolim and lead to the latter's closure by default. The need of the hour is to arrive at a consensus that Mopa has got to start small (with a 30 year vision) and grow slowly but steadily in conjunction with Dabolim civil enclave and not at the cost of the latter. This will call for herculean powers of non-partisanship in the aviation scene on the part of whichever government is in office in Goa, and it has to be sustained over decades. The pay-off is that if Goa government can do this it should be able to tackle almost any other seemingly insurmountable (but comparatively piddling) problem.
[Goanet] TWO flights of fancy
For those who want a preview of what Mopa airport will be like, here are two flights of fancy (involving Bangalore's new airport) that one could take at the cost of a mouse click and a few minutes of old fashioned reading: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2008/07/11/stories/2008071150030100 .htm Note that the article (with the characteristics of a PR exercise) limits itself to the passenger experience, including (to its credit) the painful ground transport access problem. It does not cover the overall business model of BIA such as cargo, general aviation etc. For that matter it does not even touch on the projected revenue stream from UDF (user development fees to the tune of Rs 1K at least per passenger) against which there is a temporary injunction. The point to be kept in mind is that this is more or less the prospect for Mopa if the conventional Big Bang approach to airport development is followed as at Bangalore and Hyderabad. Note that the estimated cost of Mopa is galloping from Rs 1000 crores in 2005 to Rs 1300 crores in 2007 to Rs 1700 crores today. This is quite comparable to BIA's Rs 2500 crores as of now! Here is where the second flight of fancy enters the picture. Just consider what the story would be like if it was about a second airport i.e. where the existing civil enclave was continuing to function (warts and all). Would we have all the BIA-style bells and whistles from Day One? Or would things be much more modest, albeit with high aspirations for future growth, perhaps even on a fast track. This is the view of Mopa one SHOULD have in mind. Anyway, that's my personal brainwave. Its amazing how such a commonsensical idea is unable to make headway against entrenched mindsets.
[Goanet] A wicked tale (of two airports)
The challenge of devising a two-airport system for Goa may qualify as a wicked management problem. (John C. Camillus, Strategy as a wicked problem, Harvard Business Review, May 2008)http://custom.hbsp.com/b02/en/implicit/viewFileNavBeanImplicit.jhtml?_r equestid=69305 In a nutshell, according to the author, a wicked problem has innumerable causes, is tough to describe and doesnt have a right answer. In Goa's case, the latter arises from a lack of not only any real precedents for two airport systems in the Indian context but also any readily available information on analogous situations abroad (currently or historically) which, on the face of it, are numerous. We are literally flying into uncharted territory. To complicate matters, Goan media (including electronic ones) seems to be extremely uptight of late about this subject even though it is ineluctably tied to Goa's future . Everyone seems tongue tied about managing two airports jointly (even if formally under separate ownership) for some unknown reason. To make any progress with the wicked problem, every ounce of knowledge has to be tapped and mobilised. For this to happen, the Knowledge Paradox has to be overcome first. Pithily stated it reads: Those who speak dont know and those who know dont speak. For practical purposes it has to be elaborated slightly as: Those who speak dont know (the ultimate answer) and those who know (even a very little) dont speak. The following links provide background information for the two-airport problem of Goa. 1. Aviation and Goa24 Jun, 2005 http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/1474.article 2. Plane Fraud on Goa 14 Nov, 2007 http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/2653.article 3. Goa airport: Hot Topic for a White Paper?31 Jan, 2008 http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/2695.article 4. Goa Seeks a two-airport system21 Feb, 2008 http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/2707.article 5. Menace of Mis-steps over Goa 's Mopa Airport22 May, 2008 http://www.suchetadalal.com/articles/display/46/2815.article 6. Wikipedia entry on Dabolim Airport (and Mopa) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabolim_Airport 7. Mopa airport project bullet points June 15, 2008 http://www.goanet.org/post.php?name=Newslist=goanetinfo=2008-June/authorp ost_id=075779 Based on the foregoing, and any information to which readers may be privvy, individually or collectively, the wicked issue which can be posed (for Goa's sake) is as follows: 1. What are your personal views on two conjoint airports (Dabolim civil enclave AND Mopa airport) for Goa? 2. If you were perfectly in a position to do so, how would you manage Mopa airport project (design, plan, finance, build etc) and its subsequent operation as well as regulation to co-exist in a mutually beneficial way with Dabolim civil enclave (including the latter's upgradation and expansion) for, say, twenty (20) years into the future? Feel free to speculate as you deem fit. Thanks.
[Goanet] Portuguese Consortium To Bid for Indian Goa Airport
The investment value of the project for Goa's new airport in western Indiais calculated at $400 mln (255 mln euro). The Mopa airport, which will bethe state's first international airport, will be located in Mopa plateau. TOI had recently placed the investment in Mopa airport at either $205 million or $250 million (for typographical reasons). Now we are hearing that it will be $400 million which is of the order of Rs 1700 crores, nearly the same as the new airport in Bangalore. With this kind of investment what are the chances that Dabolim airport will be able to co-exist with it as proposed by the Goa government. The civil enclave will be forced to close to ensure Mopa's viability. And we will have the same surface transport connectivity and passenger cost problems as Bangalore and Hyderabad are having currently. Let's hope Goa does not get bamboozled into going for such unreal projects at Mopa. It will surely be a miracle if better sense prevails. But who is bothered?
