Goa’s Manohar International Airport to begin domestic operations today

The Manohar International Airport in Goa will start its domestic operations from today. The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December, 2022.

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for naming Greenfield International Airport Mopa, as ‘Manohar International Airport – Mopa, Goa, as a mark of tribute to former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar.

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The foundation stone for the airport was laid in 2016 by PM Modi. The Mopa airport has been developed at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crores. It has been built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure. The airport houses a solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rainwater harvesting, state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities etc.

Initially, phase I of the airport will cater to nearly 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), but later it can be expanded to a saturation capacity of 33 MPPA.

The airport has some of the best-in-class technologies – 3-D Monolithic Precast buildings, StabilRoad, Robomatic Hollow precast walls, and 5G compatible IT infrastructure. 

Other features –

(a) The runway is capable of handling the world’s largest aircrafts.
(b) There are 14 parking bays.
(c) The airport has a night parking facility for aircrafts.
(d) There is a self-baggage drop facility.
(e) The airport has state of the art infrastructure and independent air navigation infrastructure.

(f) The airport will have a designated place for a curated flea market where local artisans and craftsmen will be encouraged to display and market their wares.

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The beginning of the operations at the airport will boost the socio-economic development of the region. It will also serve the needs of the tourism industry. The newly built airport has the potential of serving as a key logistics hub – directly connecting many domestic and international destinations.