Mona: The inauguration of International Airport at Mopa in North Goa would be held after December 08, depending on the schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
Talking to reporters after inspecting the Mopa International Airport, which is built and to be operated by GMR Goa International Airport Limited, Sawant said that 95 per cent of the work on the facility has been completed.
“The date for commissioning of the Airport will be decided depending on the availability of the Prime Minister. Tentatively, it would be inaugurated after December 08,” Sawant said.
The chief minister said that hundred per cent work on this facility would be completed in next 15 days. He said that the Arrival and Departure facilities, Baggage facility and others are ready. The Airport has also received licence for its aerodrome, he added.
A senior GMR official said that only domestic flights will operate at the Airport when it starts in December while International flights will start landing from January 2023 onwards.
He said that the Airport currently has a capacity to handle 4.4 million footfalls annually and the capacity would be increased depending on the demand.
The GMR official also said that 25,000 tonnes Temparature Control Facility has been installed at the Airport which would be expanded as per the requirement. He said that the cargo like Pharma, Fruitculture, Floriculture, Horticulture and others can be handled from this facility.
He said that the cargo would be handled from this facility right from first day onwards.
