Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said the international airport at Dabolim will not be shut down even after Mopa international airport starts operations.
Also, four-lanning or six-lanning of NH 4-A and 17-A will be done simultaneously along with Mopa airport, Parrikar said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled a plaque to lay foundation stone for the proposed greenfield airport at Mopa, at a function held at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium, Taleigao.
Parrikar said, “There is no scope for further expansion of the Dabolim airport.” The annual traffic at Dabolim airport is 5 million while its capacity is 2.7 million. “The traffic flow at Dabolim is double of its capacity,” Parrikar said highlighting the inevitability of the airport at Mopa.
Two other projects, that were also launched on Sunday, include infrastructure for building mine counter measure vessels and commencement of construction of Coast Guard offshore patrol vessels. Roberto Alomar Jersey