Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Dabolim airport, which is part of the Indian Naval base, will not be closed for the commissioning of the Manohar International Airport (MIA) in northern Goa. Independent lawmaker Alexo Reginaldo Lourenco raised the issue in the House of Representatives, claiming that GMR officials were pressuring the Indian Navy to take full control of the Dabolim airport.

The MLA claimed that the number of flights at Dabolim Airport has decreased since the commissioning of MIA. The airport is located in South Goa and is part of the Hansa Naval Base.

During the discussion, Sawant said that the Central Cabinet has taken a decision that Dabolim Airport will continue to operate even after the commissioning of MIA. He reiterated that the airport will continue to operate in the future.

The chief minister said that the state government has entered into an agreement with GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) under which Goa will get 37% of the total revenue from May 2024. Opposition leader Yuri Alemao claimed that Dabolim airport would be turned into a “ghost airport” to help the interior ministry.

Alemao noted that the number of domestic flights at Dabolim Airport has dropped from 5,095 in January 2023 to 3,510 in December 2023. He further claimed that the number of international flights fell by 31%, from 372 in January 2023 to 259 in December 2023.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)