The new MOPA Airport in Goa is the second to open up flight operations in the city. It is located around 35 Kms. from Panjim, the capital. The development of this second airport gave a much-needed boost to air traffic in Goa. This airport has a direct reach to NH-66, which makes it suitable for commuters. From the perspectives of connectivity and tourism, this project holds significant importance. The NH-66 connects the northern and southern parts of Goa. The coastline stretches to Panvel, a locality of Mumbai in the north to Edapalli in the south, lying in the state of Kerala.
Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the MOPA International Airport, and it is likely to be operational from January 5th. GoFirst and Indigo will be operating 42 and 168 flights from this airport on a weekly basis. The MOPA Airport will establish direct air connectivity between eight cities in India and Goa.
Although Goa currently has an airport, it is a civil enclave. This is actually a defense airport that belongs to the Indian Navy. The new airport in Goa has lots of sophisticated technologies and the builders have focussed on sustainable development. The same pattern has been used for developing this airport as in Hong Long, Shanghai, Singapore, and Dubai. Currently, the authorities are working on this airport in four phases. In the first phase, the airport will be capable of handling 4.4 million passengers a year. In the second phase, it will increase its capacity to 5.8 million passengers annually. Likewise, the capacity will increase to 9.4 million and 13.1 million passengers a year in the third and fourth phases. The airport comes with a maximum potential of 33 million passengers an annum.
It was on October 26, 2022 that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) licensed the aerodrome. Both domestic and international flights will operate from this airport. Interestingly, the MOPA Airport is the first airport that has been developed under the New Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). The foundation stone of this airport was laid in 2016 in the month of November.
The MOPA Airport has been developed on 2,132 acres. Out of this, the authorities have earmarked 232 acres to develop commercial facilities. The development of this airport will also boost the real estate market in the vicinity.