GOA- Qatar Airways (QR) has shifted its flight operations from Goa’s old Dabolim Airport (GOI) located in the South to the newly launched Mopa Airport (GOX) in North Goa from June 20, 2024.
Well, this move has made the Indian National Congress party’s elected MP Captain Viriato Fernandes from South Goa unhappy, well for obvious reasons.
Qatar Airways Goa Airport Operations
The Doha-based carrier will serve the route with the same aircraft, i.e. with Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 aircraft.
Here’s the flight schedule for the Doha-Goa flight:
- Doha (DOH) to Goa (GOX) – QR522 Departure 19:40, Arrival 01:55
- Goa (GOX) to Doha (DOH) – QR523 Departure 03:40, Arrival 05:00
The new airport is well established and has state-of-the-art hotels and accommodation facilities. Also, public transportation is improving and getting better every day.
It’s been 15 years since Qatar Airways has operated flights between Qatar and Goa. In total, the airline serves 13 destinations in the country, which includes Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Thiruvananthapuram.
Why was the Congress MP Disappointed?
Congress MP showed his disappointment as the old airport was operated by the government-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the new is operated by GMR.
He also accused the Indian govt of forcing airlines to move their operations to the new airport. However, the facts and actual reasons for this may not be political but economical. The new airport has better facilities, more space, and an earlier mover advantage.
Congress MP also said that he would raise this issue in parliament. He stated,
It is disheartening that Qatar Airways decided to shift operations just two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Qatar. The BJP government is prioritizing the interests of crony capitalists over the well-being of local Goans. However, I will not let Goans down and will address this issue in Parliament on behalf of all Goans.”
The President of the Goan Welfare Association, Simon D’Silva stated that the new airport is situated in the extreme north part of Goa, while the old Dabolim airport is more central. He assumes that the airline’s shifting of operations from old to new is likely due to the government’s thinking to shut down the old airport.
Well, the time will tell whether Goa will work on a dual airport model or a single one. But one thing is clear, the new Mopa airport will create some inconvenience for passengers or travelers wanting to go to the southern part. They will need to take long drives to reach their desired destinations.
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