As the economic impact will be severe, all possible must be done to retain Dabolim
Suddenly, the issue of the fate of the Dabolim International Airport has come into sharp focus. Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, who met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh two days ago on Wednesday, tried to allay apprehensions that the Dabolim airport will shut down. He also said that Singh has assured that the Dabolim International Airport will continue to operate along with the Manohar International Airport at Mopa. However, he accused GMR, the operator of the Mopa airport, of “engaging in manipulative tactics to undermine Dabolim Airport and further its commercial interests”. Godinho said that GMR is “lobbying very, very hard” and trying to convince the Navy that the airport was required for defence purposes. The question is: if there is no issue at all and everything is fine, then why has the Minister gone ahead and accused GMR of lobbying to get the Dabolim airport shut for civilian operations? Is
there smoke without fire?
Obviously, the opposition has jumped on the issue and has demanded clarity from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Defence Minister. It is an issue that is waiting to explode.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said that their fears are coming true. He has accused the BJP of trying to help GMR get a monopoly of the civil aviation business in the state. President of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) Vijai Sardesai said that he had raised the matter in the Assembly last month, saying GMR was lobbying hard against Dabolim. He said that the closure of the airport for civilian operations will be a disaster for South Goa. On Thursday, South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes shot off a letter to the Defence Minister in which he said that closure of the airport will be a “betrayal of the people of Goa”.
By Thursday evening, it was clear that the state government would not be able to maintain silence on the issue. Some ministers made political statements while reassuring that the Dabolim airport will not shut down for civilian operations. We have been hearing this for quite some time now. Assurances given by the state government and its ministers will be taken with a pinch of salt, as the they cannot decide the fate of the Dabolim airport. There must be a clear-cut assurance from the central government, as it is a defence airport.
It may be unusual that a small state like Goa has two international airports. Being a tourist destination, air traffic in Goa has multiplied over the years. However, there have been apprehensions over the possible closure of the Dabolim airport ever since a report by experts suggested that two international airports cannot survive in Goa. From the time several airlines moved their operations to Mopa, South Goa’s economy has taken a hit. Supporting them, the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry had sent a formal SOS (urgent request) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sawant in 2024, stating that the Dabolim Airport is vital for the tourism industry, particularly in South Goa.
The Goa Assembly has discussed the issue in the last two years, with opposition members demanding not only an assurance from the Centre but also a mechanism by which airlines do not move out of Dabolim. Cutting across party lines, the sentiments of the House have been clear: that Dabolim airport has to survive for the good of Goa.
Instead of blaming the opposition for amplifying the issue, the state government must ensure that the Centre clears the air on the issue. Everything possible must be done to retain civil operations at the Dabolim airport.
