The much-awaited Mopa International airport was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on 11 December 2022. The airport is said to be able to cater to around 4.4 million passengers annually. However, its capacity can be increased gradually. The prime minister also announced that the airport will be named Manohar international airport as a tribute to the late chief minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar. The main aim is to increase tourism and air connection in Goa. The foundation stone for the airport was laid in 2016 by the prime minister. This will be the second airport in Goa after the Dabolim airport.
A few airlines including Indigo have revealed their plans of starting about 168 flights from the airport., starting in January. It has been said that the government undertook this initiative to provide quality transportation facilities to the people. The entire process cost around 2,870 crores. The airport at Mopa is located in the Northern part of Goa which is around 35kms away from the capital city of Panaji. The airport will connect eight cities in India.
The Mopa international airport is designed to carry huge aircraft such as Airbus A380. Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airline and has a full-length double deck. It has also been designed with six cross taxiways. The Goa International Airport Management stated that the main runway of the airport is 3,500 meters long and 60 meters wide.
The airport also consists of world-class technologies such as 5G IT infrastructure, 3D monolithic precast buildings, robotic hollow precast walls, and StabilRoad. It has 14 parking spaces including one for aircraft night parking. It also has self-baggage drop facilities and automatic air navigation systems. The airport also tries to provide a peek into the history of Goa since the azulejos tiles have been widely used in the airport. It also has an authentic Goa café and will feature Goan flee markets where local artisans can showcase their work.
However, the inauguration of the Mopa airport did draw some flak from the opposition. Congress state president Amit Patkar said that the airport should not be treated as the private party of the ruling party but as public property. He even responded to the prime minister's speech where he spoke about the previous government not focusing on infrastructure. Amit highlighted many projects and initiatives of the Congress party.
Mopa airport is built keeping sustainability in mind. It consists of a solar power plant, rainwater harvesting, and a sewage system. Green buildings, recycling facilities, and LED lights on the runway. The prime minister also lauded the people of Goa and the state government for the developmental activities happening in the state. He added that Goa is the perfect example of a saturated state and that through all the hardships the airport is ready to function properly. The inauguration event was attended by Pramod Sawant (Chief minister), P S Sreedharan Pillai (Governor), Jyotraditya Scindia (Minister of civil aviation), and Yesso Naik (Minister of port, shipping, and waterways).
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