Mopa Airport update: Manohar International Airport, also known as Mopa Airport, is the second airport of Goa after Dabolim Airport in Dabolim. North Goa and the neighbouring districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra are served by the airport. Developed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), was built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.
Mopa Airport: Name details
Mopa Airport, named after the former Minister of Defence and the former Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, was expected to be completed by 2020. It was delayed due to a Supreme Court order that impeded work on site and also due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the distance and difference between Mopa Airport and Dabolim Airport?
Manohar International Airport (GOX), also called Mopa Airport, is situated at the Pernem district, approximately 30 kilometres away from Panjim, the capital of Goa. The Goa International Airport, also called Dabolim airport, situated at the Dabolim district, is 26 kilometres away from Panjim. The distance between Mopa International Airport and Dabolim Airport is 55 kilometres. It should be mentioned that Dabolim Airport will not close. It remains operational after the inauguration of Mopa International Airport. Goa is the first state in country to have two functional airports within 150 km. It was set up to cater the rush of flight passengers at the Dabolim Airport, part of a civilian enclave at a naval base.
Also Read: Kannur International Airport project: Work progress, passenger amenities
Is it operational?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation in November 2016. It was inaugurated by PM Modi on December 11, 2022. It should be mentioned that commercial operations of Mopa Airport started in January 2023.
All you need to know
Airport Name: Manohar International Airport
Airport type: Public
Owner/Operator: GMR Goa International Airport Limited
Serves: Goa
Location: Mopa situated at Pernem taluka in North Goa district
Opened: December 11, 2022
Elevation AMSL: 552 ft / 168 m
Coordinates: 15.7302°N 73.8631°E
Website: Manohar International Airport
Airlines and Destinations
Aeroflot: Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Yekaterinburg (both to begin October 1, 2023)
Air India: London–Gatwick
Akasa Air: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad (to resumes October 1, 2023)
IndiGo: Abu Dhabi (begins 2 September 2023)
Oman Air: Muscat (begins October 29, 2023)
SpiceJet: Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata (resumes September 6, 2023), Mumbai, Pune (begins October 12, 2023)
TUI Airways: Seasonal: London–Gatwick (begins November 7, 2023), Manchester (begins November 3, 2023)
Vistara: Delhi, Mumbai
Enjoy a hassle-free trip at Manohar International Airport with E-Visa facility. Happy exploring!@delhiairport @rgiahyd @goatourism @airindia #manoharinternationalairport #gox #feelgoa #EVisa #internationaltravel #airindia pic.twitter.com/1u2PK8JgEo
— Manohar International Airport (@miagoaairport) August 18, 2023
Master Plan
Mopa airport is being developed in four phases, with the first phase designed to accommodate approximately 4.4 million passengers a year. Passenger handling capacity will be gradually increased to 5.8 in the second phase and then to 9.4 million in the third phase.
The phased development will involve the continuous expansion of terminal, commercial and cargo aprons, taxiways, and aviation facilities. The airport will ultimately be able to handle 13.1 million passengers a year upon completion of the fourth and final phase by 2045.