Goa is a small Indian state in western India bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka. Goa has two operational airports. The first being Dabolim Airport at Dabolim, and the new Manohar International Airport built at Mopa, North Goa.
The Dabolim Airport is an international airport which was built in 1955 and is currently owned by the Government of Goa and the Indian Navy. A new terminal at the Dabolim Airport was inaugurated in 2013.[1] The current airport has regular and charter flights to the a few Middle Eastern countries, Russia, and the United Kingdom. However, due to the Dabolim Airport being a civilian as well as a military airport, airside congestion was a significant problem as the airport has only one runway.
Therefore, a new airport at Mopa was proposed. The foundation stone for the new Manohar International Airport was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2016.[2] The new Manohar International Airport, operated by the GMR Group is being built in an area of 2,133 acres (863 ha) at a cost of approximately ₹2,650 crores (US$330 million).[3]
On 11th December 2022, The Mopa Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and christened as “Manohar International Airport” named after Goa’s late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Flight operations have commenced from 5th January 2023.
