Dabolim Airport
Encyclopedia
Dabolim Airport is located in the village of Dabolim in Goa
, India
. It is the only airport in the state
and operates as a civil enclave
in a military
airbase
named INS Hansa.
, which on a regular schedule served Karachi
, Mozambique
, Timor
, and other destinations. In April 1962, it was occupied by the Indian Navy
's air wing when Major General
K.P. Candeth
, who had led the successful military operation into Goa, "handed over" the airport to the Indian Navy before relinquishing charge as its military governor to a Lieutenant Governor
of the then Union Territory
of Goa in June.
The earliest international (i.e., non-Portuguese) tourists to Goa may have been the flower child
ren of the 1960s. They used the overland route, by road or rail, from Bombay (now Mumbai
), detouring via Poona (now Pune
), to north Goa's secluded beaches. A sea route was also available. For civilian air travel out of Vasco da Gama and Goa the Indian Navy and the Government of India
invited the public sector airline (known now as Indian
) to operate at Dabolim from 1966 after the runway was repaired and jet-enabled. Road and rail travel remains the mainstay of journeys between Goa and places like Mumbai and Bangalore though they take 12–15 hours nowadays (down from 24 hours at one time).
Once two vital road bridges across the main waterways of Goa were built in the early 1980s and Goa hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in 1983, the charter flight business began to take off at Dabolim a few years later, pioneered by Condor Airlines
of Germany.
Goa's estimated 700 international flights per year account for some 90% of the country's international charter tourist flights. It is estimated that about 150 to 200 thousand foreign tourists arrive at Dabolim on charter flights. Goa's total foreign tourists (roughly double the charter passengers) account for 5-10% of the national figure and 10-15% of the country's foreign exchange receipts from tourism. As the weekend morning hours approach saturation due to waves of chartered flights especially from UK, and Russia
, attention is shifting to the night and early morning hours of weekdays for accommodating such flights. Tourists from UK to Goa by air were estimated to number about 101,000 in 2007-08 while those from Russia numbered about 42,000 (by 159 charter flights) in the same period. These were the top two foreign tourist categories. Charter flights booked by Russia for the current season numbered 240.
is in the hands of the Indian Navy, which earns revenues from this service on account of aircraft movements. Landing fees are of the order of Rs 17,000 each. RNF is about Rs 7,400. The Airports Authority of India
could be eligible for aircraft parking fees of Rs 10,000 per day. It receives a part of the passenger service fee which is shared between it and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The AAI's prime source of earning is from non-traffic services like passenger facilitation, car park, entry tickets, stalls, restaurants and shops at the main terminal building and advertising boards. With such revenues at an estimated Rs 700 million, Dabolim airport is one of only a dozen "profitable" airports of the Airports Authority of India
(AAI).
Capital expenditures (such as for runway expansion) at the airport are covered by AAI. The Dabolim airport runway has increased in length over the years from about 6000 feet (1,829 m) initially to at least 7850 feet (2,392.7 m) today (approx 2,370 m), and can now accommodate Boeing 747
s. There is a shortage of night parking bays which are at a premium in metro airports like Mumbai. A local association has estimated that about 40 hectares are needed for the civil enclave in comparison to the 14 hectares earmarked at present.
The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry
announced a plan to upgrade Dabolim airport in 2006. This involved constructing a new international passenger terminal (after converting the existing one to domestic) and adding several more aircraft stands over an area of about 4 hectares (9.9 acre). The construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007. However delays in transfer of the required land from the Navy have held up proceedings.
of nearly 14 hectares (34.6 acre), an increase from its original size of 6 hectares (14.8 acre). There are two terminal buildings
operated by the public sector Airports Authority of India
(AAI) which are Public Works Department (PWD) brick and mortar structures with a total floor space of 12000 square metres (14,351.9 sq yd). Of this, a domestic terminal comprises 2000 square metres (2,392 sq yd) and there is an international terminal that comprises 1000 square metres (1,196 sq yd). The remaining space is for other service areas.
The domestic terminal was built in 1983 and is designed to process 350 arrivals and departures simultaneously, while the international terminal built in 1996 is meant for 250. There are 250 paramilitary personnel stationed at the airport for security purposes. There is provision for parking 84 cars and 8 buses. The car park has since been reserved for staff vehicles. Private cars and buses have been relegated to spaces outside the airport premises.
Of the 30-40 flights daily, there is a very large concentration of civilian traffic in the period between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm during weekdays, with the balance in the early morning hours. This is because of naval restrictions for military flight training
purposes. This flight training takes place throughout the year. The huge demand during the peak Christmas/New Year tourist season results in the sharp spiking of air fares during this period. Delhi/Mumbai-Goa air fares for this period have become a bench mark of sorts at the upper end, comparable to international fares from Mumbai to Dubai and to Bangkok. Officially, night operations have been permitted and enabled since October 2007 but they have taken place only an ad hoc basis subject to the mandatory clearance of the naval ATC.
The Navy's premises straddle the Dabolim runway and consequently its personnel cross at one point (on foot or bicycles or in vehicles) between flights. One point near the terminal constrains the enlargement of aircraft parking space. Navy personnel in the Goa area number about six thousand in total, substantially larger in size than the total Goa state police force of less than four thousand.
Less than a dozen airlines compete in the domestic market. There are 132 airports in India which can be categorised in sometimes overlapping ways into public sector, private sector, civil enclaves, international, metro, and non-metro. Of these, over 74 are connected at present. Dabolim is connected to only about ten Indian airports (about 35% of the most active ones in the network).
Terminal 2 - International
Dabolim's scheduled international flights are sporadic. These are operated only to the Persian Gulf
region by the two state owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, who were granted a duopoly
of this sector for a few years. Foreign carriers were for long disallowed from operating scheduled flights to or from Goa, but have recently started obtaining permission to do so.
Several European charter airlines fly to Goa seasonally, typically during the winter months.
Cargo
By 2005, total passengers had increased to 987,690 (1944 domestic plus 762 international passengers per day, year unspecified). The figure for 2004-05 was placed at nearly 1.3 million giving a daily average of 3467. Data for April 2005 and 2006 are given in an Airports Authority Of India report. The airport director has claimed that 2.2 million passengers used the airport in CY 2006. This rose to about 2.6 million in CY 2007. The airport is ranked among the top ten in the country in terms of passenger traffic. Airport authorities consider that it has been operating at saturation levels since 2004.
naval base at Karwar
, 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) south of Dabolim in the adjoining state of Karnataka
. However, the Indian Navy's top officers in Goa have hinted that the investment at Dabolim naval air station is 750 Crores and that it would be impossible to replicate this at Karwar.
In early 2007, there were reports of a concerted move by the Navy, the AAI, and the state of Karnataka to extend the runway planned at the naval base at Karwar to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to accommodate Airbus A320
s and to acquire 75 extra hectares for this purpose. However there have been no corresponding plans announced so far to relocate flight training from Dabolim to this airport or any other more convenient place. Meanwhile plans for the naval air station at Karwar have been put on the back-burner.
Plans were then drawn up to upgrade Dabolim in the meantime at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crores (Rs 5 billion) and the consultant was asked to examine the feasibility of two airports in Goa. It has since given a tentative approval to a "dual airport" solution even in conjunction with the planned Dabolim upgrade. The upgrade consists of a congeries of plans evolving from 2000/2001 and consisting of (a) partial or complete demolition of the old terminal, (b) construction of a new "integrated" terminal, (c) a dozen aircraft parking bays/night parking bays, (d) aerobridges, (e)a parallel taxi track, (f) a captive power plant and (g) a multi-storied car park.
Meanwhile the Navy's title to Dabolim airport land has been questioned by a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) of Goa in relation to the plan to relocate the civil enclave to the Mopa civilian airport on the grounds that it is the state government of Goa which authorises land transfers in its jurisdiction. He has disclosed that the Navy "literally" makes the state government and the Airports Authority of India "beg" for land needed at Dabolim airport. This made it imperative to establish the clear title to the airport land.
Local Navy officials brushed off this argument as inconsequential given the passage of time.
The delays were apparently due to the structuring of these Dabolim deals as land-for-land at the instance of the Navy. This is in contrast to inter-governmental adjustments based on situation-specific military security assessments and demonstrable civilian needs. In this instance, one of the main sticking points was a small but crucial bit of land over which there was a fundamental difference of opinion between the Navy and the state government. The Navy alleged that "encroachment" was involved. A clearance for the expansion from the central Public Investment Board was also pending. Here the issues were the size and scope of the plan (such as the required aeronautical clearances given existing structures) as well as who would do the work on the parallel taxi track, AAI or the Navy.
The Goa government has now officially given an "in principle" approval to the civil aviation ministry to two airports in the state. The civil aviation minister has recently been propagating the vision of an airport in every district by 2020. Goa's two airports would conceivably be consistent with this. The high-powered committee has since submitted its final recommendation for a new airport at Mopa to the Prime Minister.
In the indications dribbling out in the interim (a) a "review" of the Union Cabinet's March 2000 decision to close Dabolim civil enclave on the opening of Mopa has been sought (b) Mopa is being tipped as an "international" airport while Dabolim would be "domestic" (c) estimates of the investment in Mopa range from $205 million to $400 million and a 33000 square metres (39,467.7 sq yd) passenger terminal is envisaged (d) it is hoped that Dabolim civil enclave would be expanded/upgraded simultaneously (e) Mopa airport would be Code F or super-jumbo compatible (f) the exact status of the ground transport (north-south) connectivity of the two airports is still up in the air. Meanwhile the local base commander of the Indian Navy has urged the Goa government to expedite the Mopa airport project unambiguously drawing a line on the availability of any more land for civilian purposes. However an explicit two-airport system had yet to be studied in Goa.
base near Coimbatore. But in 1983, the Indian Navy began inducting the BAE Sea Harrier
into service, basing training activities at Dabolim. Now the base is expected to house four MIG-29KUBs
that will be inducted into the navy with a complement of 12 single seater MIG-29Ks purchased with the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya
(which will be a re-fitted and refurbished Admiral Gorshkov
of the Russian Navy).
A mock-up of the 283 metres (928.5 ft) INS Vikramaditya deck is being built at Dabolim airport for training purposes as the aircraft carrier is slated to be based at Karwar
. The move is in anticipation of a delay in delivery of the Russian aircraft carrier from 2008 to 2012 at the earliest.
Besides the operation of STOVL
aircraft such as the BAE Sea Harrier, the Navy also operates Kamov Ka-28 anti submarine helicopters, along with IL-38 and TU-142M aircraft. Dabolim airbase also hosts exercises by the Indian Air Force
's fighter bombers and it has facilities for the Indian Coast Guard
which operates a fleet of small aircraft such as Dorniers. The Indian Navy also carries out long range maritime patrol
s as far as the Horn of Africa
from Dabolim using unarmed aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-38
. This activity has assumed significance recently due to a spate of pirate attacks in the area on maritime shipping involving Indian crews.
Of late the Navy has been displaying its 3-plane aerobatic team, based at Dabolim. The team comprises three Kiran aircraft which carry out aerobatic displays at various locations in the country. The team is used in one or two annual public events in Goa for flypasts of 15 to 20 minutes duration. The Navy also operates a naval aviation museum at Dabolim airport.
The Government of India appointed a new Navy chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, on 1 November 2006. The officer has had a long association with Dabolim naval air station and is a staunch proponent of its continuation in perpetuity. In conjunction with what he called the Navy's "low intensity maritime operations" he said it had averted "various threats".
bus stop, about 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) from the airport. Local mini-buses connect both Vasco da Gama and Chicalim to the airport. Pre-paid taxis are available from the airport. There are various new transportation plans in the works, including the addition of a second bridge. Meanwhile plans for a 6-lane, north-to-south expressway are on hold in Goa. A monorail system is also being considered. All these plans have implications for the proposed Mopa airport and its link to Dabolim and Goa's population centres.
Railway tracks of Indian Railways
, which also run through Goa, pass beside the airport. The nearest station is at Vasco da Gama city. The port at Mormugao
is located about 5 km (3.1 mi) away.
Konkan Railway
provides services to Margao
in South Goa
, Thivim (Tivim) in North Goa
, Karmali
and Ponda
.
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the only airport in the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
and operates as a civil enclave
Civil enclave
A Civil Enclave is an area allotted at an airport belonging to the armed forces, for the usage of civil aircraft and civil aviation related services....
in a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
named INS Hansa.
History
The airport was built by the government of the Estado da Índia Portuguesa in the 1950s on 249 acres (100.8 ha). Until 1961 it served as the main hub for the local airline TAIP Transportes Aéreos da Índia PortuguesaTransportes Aéreos da Índia Portuguesa
TAIP - Transportes Aéreos da Índia Portuguesa was an airline which operated from Portuguese India from 1955 to 1961...
, which on a regular schedule served Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
, and other destinations. In April 1962, it was occupied by the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
's air wing when Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
K.P. Candeth
K.P. Candeth
Kunhiraman Palat Candeth was a Major General in the Indian army when he led the operation to liberate Goa from the Portuguese occupation and served briefly as the Lieutenant Governor of the state. Subsequently, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army...
, who had led the successful military operation into Goa, "handed over" the airport to the Indian Navy before relinquishing charge as its military governor to a Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of the then Union Territory
Union Territory
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
of Goa in June.
The earliest international (i.e., non-Portuguese) tourists to Goa may have been the flower child
Flower child
Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, especially the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and environs during the 1967 Summer of Love. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear and distribute flowers or floral-themed decorations to symbolize altruistic ideals of...
ren of the 1960s. They used the overland route, by road or rail, from Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
), detouring via Poona (now Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
), to north Goa's secluded beaches. A sea route was also available. For civilian air travel out of Vasco da Gama and Goa the Indian Navy and the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
invited the public sector airline (known now as Indian
Indian (airline)
Indian , formerly Indian Airlines was a major Indian airline based in Delhi and focused primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighbouring countries in Asia. It was state-owned, and was administered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It was one of the two flag...
) to operate at Dabolim from 1966 after the runway was repaired and jet-enabled. Road and rail travel remains the mainstay of journeys between Goa and places like Mumbai and Bangalore though they take 12–15 hours nowadays (down from 24 hours at one time).
Once two vital road bridges across the main waterways of Goa were built in the early 1980s and Goa hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, , is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President, who becomes the...
(CHOGM) in 1983, the charter flight business began to take off at Dabolim a few years later, pioneered by Condor Airlines
Condor Airlines
Condor Flugdienst GmbH, usually shortened to Condor, is an airline based in Germany, operating scheduled leisure flights to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean as part of Thomas Cook Group...
of Germany.
Goa's estimated 700 international flights per year account for some 90% of the country's international charter tourist flights. It is estimated that about 150 to 200 thousand foreign tourists arrive at Dabolim on charter flights. Goa's total foreign tourists (roughly double the charter passengers) account for 5-10% of the national figure and 10-15% of the country's foreign exchange receipts from tourism. As the weekend morning hours approach saturation due to waves of chartered flights especially from UK, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, attention is shifting to the night and early morning hours of weekdays for accommodating such flights. Tourists from UK to Goa by air were estimated to number about 101,000 in 2007-08 while those from Russia numbered about 42,000 (by 159 charter flights) in the same period. These were the top two foreign tourist categories. Charter flights booked by Russia for the current season numbered 240.
Economic factors
Dabolim's air traffic controlAir traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
is in the hands of the Indian Navy, which earns revenues from this service on account of aircraft movements. Landing fees are of the order of Rs 17,000 each. RNF is about Rs 7,400. The Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
could be eligible for aircraft parking fees of Rs 10,000 per day. It receives a part of the passenger service fee which is shared between it and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The AAI's prime source of earning is from non-traffic services like passenger facilitation, car park, entry tickets, stalls, restaurants and shops at the main terminal building and advertising boards. With such revenues at an estimated Rs 700 million, Dabolim airport is one of only a dozen "profitable" airports of the Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
(AAI).
Capital expenditures (such as for runway expansion) at the airport are covered by AAI. The Dabolim airport runway has increased in length over the years from about 6000 feet (1,829 m) initially to at least 7850 feet (2,392.7 m) today (approx 2,370 m), and can now accommodate Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s. There is a shortage of night parking bays which are at a premium in metro airports like Mumbai. A local association has estimated that about 40 hectares are needed for the civil enclave in comparison to the 14 hectares earmarked at present.
The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry
Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, India is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in India.-References:**...
announced a plan to upgrade Dabolim airport in 2006. This involved constructing a new international passenger terminal (after converting the existing one to domestic) and adding several more aircraft stands over an area of about 4 hectares (9.9 acre). The construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007. However delays in transfer of the required land from the Navy have held up proceedings.
Structure
The airport is spread over 688 hectares (1,700.1 acre) (and possibly 745 hectares or 1,840.9 acre) and consists of a civil enclaveCivil enclave
A Civil Enclave is an area allotted at an airport belonging to the armed forces, for the usage of civil aircraft and civil aviation related services....
of nearly 14 hectares (34.6 acre), an increase from its original size of 6 hectares (14.8 acre). There are two terminal buildings
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
operated by the public sector Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
(AAI) which are Public Works Department (PWD) brick and mortar structures with a total floor space of 12000 square metres (14,351.9 sq yd). Of this, a domestic terminal comprises 2000 square metres (2,392 sq yd) and there is an international terminal that comprises 1000 square metres (1,196 sq yd). The remaining space is for other service areas.
The domestic terminal was built in 1983 and is designed to process 350 arrivals and departures simultaneously, while the international terminal built in 1996 is meant for 250. There are 250 paramilitary personnel stationed at the airport for security purposes. There is provision for parking 84 cars and 8 buses. The car park has since been reserved for staff vehicles. Private cars and buses have been relegated to spaces outside the airport premises.
Of the 30-40 flights daily, there is a very large concentration of civilian traffic in the period between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm during weekdays, with the balance in the early morning hours. This is because of naval restrictions for military flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
purposes. This flight training takes place throughout the year. The huge demand during the peak Christmas/New Year tourist season results in the sharp spiking of air fares during this period. Delhi/Mumbai-Goa air fares for this period have become a bench mark of sorts at the upper end, comparable to international fares from Mumbai to Dubai and to Bangkok. Officially, night operations have been permitted and enabled since October 2007 but they have taken place only an ad hoc basis subject to the mandatory clearance of the naval ATC.
The Navy's premises straddle the Dabolim runway and consequently its personnel cross at one point (on foot or bicycles or in vehicles) between flights. One point near the terminal constrains the enlargement of aircraft parking space. Navy personnel in the Goa area number about six thousand in total, substantially larger in size than the total Goa state police force of less than four thousand.
Expansions
A new integrated terminal has been planned which now is under construction. The foundation stone was laid on 21 February 2009.Terminals
Terminal 1 - DomesticLess than a dozen airlines compete in the domestic market. There are 132 airports in India which can be categorised in sometimes overlapping ways into public sector, private sector, civil enclaves, international, metro, and non-metro. Of these, over 74 are connected at present. Dabolim is connected to only about ten Indian airports (about 35% of the most active ones in the network).
Terminal 2 - International
Dabolim's scheduled international flights are sporadic. These are operated only to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region by the two state owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, who were granted a duopoly
Duopoly
A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
of this sector for a few years. Foreign carriers were for long disallowed from operating scheduled flights to or from Goa, but have recently started obtaining permission to do so.
Several European charter airlines fly to Goa seasonally, typically during the winter months.
Airlines and destinations
PassengerCargo
Statistics
| Year | Total Passengers | Total Aircraft Movements |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 758,914 | 7,584 |
| 2000 | 875,924 | 7,957 |
| 2001 | 791,628 | 8,112 |
By 2005, total passengers had increased to 987,690 (1944 domestic plus 762 international passengers per day, year unspecified). The figure for 2004-05 was placed at nearly 1.3 million giving a daily average of 3467. Data for April 2005 and 2006 are given in an Airports Authority Of India report. The airport director has claimed that 2.2 million passengers used the airport in CY 2006. This rose to about 2.6 million in CY 2007. The airport is ranked among the top ten in the country in terms of passenger traffic. Airport authorities consider that it has been operating at saturation levels since 2004.
Military flight training
The military flight training at Dabolim is carried out on 5 days of the week from 0830 hrs to 1300 hrs, during which hours civilian flights cannot operate. Some exceptions have been made on rare occasions by the naval ATC, chiefly in the case of foreign airlines. Charter airlines carrying international tourists during the season tend to use the freer civil aviation regimes on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and in the early morning hours. The blocked time is about 15% of the total on a weekly basis albeit during peak morning hours for civilian flights. Recently the Navy released a few hours blocked in the evenings on two weekdays, in favour of civilian flights.Campaign to revert to civilian status
There has been a demand in local political circles for the restoration of Dabolim's civilian status by relocating the Indian Navy' air station to an airfield in the new INS KadambaINS Kadamba
INS Kadamba is part of an initiative of the Indian Navy to develop a blue water navy and to acquire strategic depth. The project was first envisioned by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson during the 1980s...
naval base at Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
, 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) south of Dabolim in the adjoining state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. However, the Indian Navy's top officers in Goa have hinted that the investment at Dabolim naval air station is 750 Crores and that it would be impossible to replicate this at Karwar.
In early 2007, there were reports of a concerted move by the Navy, the AAI, and the state of Karnataka to extend the runway planned at the naval base at Karwar to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to accommodate Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s and to acquire 75 extra hectares for this purpose. However there have been no corresponding plans announced so far to relocate flight training from Dabolim to this airport or any other more convenient place. Meanwhile plans for the naval air station at Karwar have been put on the back-burner.
The Mopa Option
Years ago the Navy accorded its approval to the civil aviation ministry's plans to locate a greenfield airport at Mopa in the northernmost tip of Goa. At the same time, the civil aviation ministry moved a resolution in March 2000 whereby Dabolim civil enclave would close once Mopa airport came on stream. The resolution was passed by the Union Cabinet. But opposition to such a prospect for historical and practical reasons, which was dormant since mid-2000, grew virulent in mid-2005 when ICAO submitted a report about the plans for the new Mopa "international" airport. It was felt that it would result in the closure of Dabolim civil enclave by default or by design.Plans were then drawn up to upgrade Dabolim in the meantime at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crores (Rs 5 billion) and the consultant was asked to examine the feasibility of two airports in Goa. It has since given a tentative approval to a "dual airport" solution even in conjunction with the planned Dabolim upgrade. The upgrade consists of a congeries of plans evolving from 2000/2001 and consisting of (a) partial or complete demolition of the old terminal, (b) construction of a new "integrated" terminal, (c) a dozen aircraft parking bays/night parking bays, (d) aerobridges, (e)a parallel taxi track, (f) a captive power plant and (g) a multi-storied car park.
Meanwhile the Navy's title to Dabolim airport land has been questioned by a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) of Goa in relation to the plan to relocate the civil enclave to the Mopa civilian airport on the grounds that it is the state government of Goa which authorises land transfers in its jurisdiction. He has disclosed that the Navy "literally" makes the state government and the Airports Authority of India "beg" for land needed at Dabolim airport. This made it imperative to establish the clear title to the airport land.
Local Navy officials brushed off this argument as inconsequential given the passage of time.
The delays were apparently due to the structuring of these Dabolim deals as land-for-land at the instance of the Navy. This is in contrast to inter-governmental adjustments based on situation-specific military security assessments and demonstrable civilian needs. In this instance, one of the main sticking points was a small but crucial bit of land over which there was a fundamental difference of opinion between the Navy and the state government. The Navy alleged that "encroachment" was involved. A clearance for the expansion from the central Public Investment Board was also pending. Here the issues were the size and scope of the plan (such as the required aeronautical clearances given existing structures) as well as who would do the work on the parallel taxi track, AAI or the Navy.
The Goa government has now officially given an "in principle" approval to the civil aviation ministry to two airports in the state. The civil aviation minister has recently been propagating the vision of an airport in every district by 2020. Goa's two airports would conceivably be consistent with this. The high-powered committee has since submitted its final recommendation for a new airport at Mopa to the Prime Minister.
In the indications dribbling out in the interim (a) a "review" of the Union Cabinet's March 2000 decision to close Dabolim civil enclave on the opening of Mopa has been sought (b) Mopa is being tipped as an "international" airport while Dabolim would be "domestic" (c) estimates of the investment in Mopa range from $205 million to $400 million and a 33000 square metres (39,467.7 sq yd) passenger terminal is envisaged (d) it is hoped that Dabolim civil enclave would be expanded/upgraded simultaneously (e) Mopa airport would be Code F or super-jumbo compatible (f) the exact status of the ground transport (north-south) connectivity of the two airports is still up in the air. Meanwhile the local base commander of the Indian Navy has urged the Goa government to expedite the Mopa airport project unambiguously drawing a line on the availability of any more land for civilian purposes. However an explicit two-airport system had yet to be studied in Goa.
Naval Station at Dabolim
The early history of Dabolim naval air station is obscure but it is thought that it may have been hived off from Sulur IAFIndian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
base near Coimbatore. But in 1983, the Indian Navy began inducting the BAE Sea Harrier
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
into service, basing training activities at Dabolim. Now the base is expected to house four MIG-29KUBs
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
that will be inducted into the navy with a complement of 12 single seater MIG-29Ks purchased with the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya
INS Vikramaditya is the new name for the former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which has been procured by India, and is estimated to enter service in the Indian Navy after 2012....
(which will be a re-fitted and refurbished Admiral Gorshkov
Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov
Admiral Gorshkov was a modified Kiev class aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy, originally named Baku. Sometimes Gorshkov is considered a separate class due to its improvements including a phased array radar, extensive electronic warfare installations, and an enlarged command and control suite...
of the Russian Navy).
A mock-up of the 283 metres (928.5 ft) INS Vikramaditya deck is being built at Dabolim airport for training purposes as the aircraft carrier is slated to be based at Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
. The move is in anticipation of a delay in delivery of the Russian aircraft carrier from 2008 to 2012 at the earliest.
Besides the operation of STOVL
STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
aircraft such as the BAE Sea Harrier, the Navy also operates Kamov Ka-28 anti submarine helicopters, along with IL-38 and TU-142M aircraft. Dabolim airbase also hosts exercises by the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
's fighter bombers and it has facilities for the Indian Coast Guard
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....
which operates a fleet of small aircraft such as Dorniers. The Indian Navy also carries out long range maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
s as far as the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
from Dabolim using unarmed aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-38
Ilyushin Il-38
|-See also:-References:*Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Killer: Ilyushin IL-38 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. pp. 30–36....
. This activity has assumed significance recently due to a spate of pirate attacks in the area on maritime shipping involving Indian crews.
Of late the Navy has been displaying its 3-plane aerobatic team, based at Dabolim. The team comprises three Kiran aircraft which carry out aerobatic displays at various locations in the country. The team is used in one or two annual public events in Goa for flypasts of 15 to 20 minutes duration. The Navy also operates a naval aviation museum at Dabolim airport.
The Government of India appointed a new Navy chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, on 1 November 2006. The officer has had a long association with Dabolim naval air station and is a staunch proponent of its continuation in perpetuity. In conjunction with what he called the Navy's "low intensity maritime operations" he said it had averted "various threats".
Air cargo
Dabolim's potential for air cargo has not yet been seriously tapped. An estimated 5000 tonne of cargo were handled annually as of a few years ago and may have declined since then. Meanwhile 90% of India's air cargo is concentrated in the top six airports together with Ahmedabad. Most of the country's air cargo is carried in the belly-space of airlines such as Air India rather than in dedicated freighters. There is no worthwhile cargo complex at Dabolim especially for perishables like fish, fruits, flowers and vegetables for which there is a significant export market in the Gulf countries. Meanwhile Goa's pharmaceutical companies carry out their export/import operations via Mumbai airport. The customs staff in Dabolim's vicinity are focused on ship cargo. The Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) had been pleading for priority to air cargo for several years. The state government had even agreed, in principle, to allotting nearby land to AAI but there has been no perceptible progress in this direction.Surface transport connectivity
Passengers can reach the airport using taxis, buses, trains, or automobiles. Public buses go to the nearby city of Vasco da Gama, approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) away, and also stop at the closer ChicalimChicalim
Chicalim is a census town in South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.-Geography:Chicalim is located at . It has an average elevation of 45 metres .-Demographics:...
bus stop, about 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) from the airport. Local mini-buses connect both Vasco da Gama and Chicalim to the airport. Pre-paid taxis are available from the airport. There are various new transportation plans in the works, including the addition of a second bridge. Meanwhile plans for a 6-lane, north-to-south expressway are on hold in Goa. A monorail system is also being considered. All these plans have implications for the proposed Mopa airport and its link to Dabolim and Goa's population centres.
Railway tracks of Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
, which also run through Goa, pass beside the airport. The nearest station is at Vasco da Gama city. The port at Mormugao
Mormugao
Mormugao or Marmagao is a city and a municipal council in South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is Goa’s main port. It was featured in the 1980 film The Sea Wolves and the Bollywood film Bhootnath....
is located about 5 km (3.1 mi) away.
Konkan Railway
Konkan Railway
The Konkan Railway is a railway line which runs along the Konkan coast of India. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation...
provides services to Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
in South Goa
South Goa
South Goa is one of the two districts that comprise the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of 1,966 km² and a population of 586,591...
, Thivim (Tivim) in North Goa
North Goa
North Goa is one of the two districts that make up the state of Goa, India. The district has an area of 1736 km², and is bounded by Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra state to the north and east respectively, by South Goa District to the south, and by the Arabian Sea to the...
, Karmali
Karmali
Karmali is a village in North Goa district, Goa, India.-External links:* *...
and Ponda
Ponda, India
Ponda is a city and a municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is located in the central part of Goa. Ponda lies about 29 km south-east of Panaji and 18 km north-east of Margao and is also the capital of Ponda taluk. Ponda is well connected by road to the...
.
Incidents and accidents
- On 1 October 2002, two Ilyushin IL-18s collided and crashed near Dabolim airport killing 12 naval personnel in the planes and 3 civilians on the ground.
- In December 2004 a Sea Harrier did a "belly flop" while landing. The pilot survived.
- In early 2005 a Sea Harrier overshot the runway while landing. The pilot survived.
- In December 2005 a Sea Harrier crashed through a steel wire barrier, broke through the perimeter wall, and went over a road before ending in a fireball on the other side. The pilot was killed.
- On 24 December 2007 a Sea Harrier crashed and burned at 11:15 AM while attempting a vertical landing with a full fuel tank at the eastern end of the runway. The pilot ejected to safety but civilian airport operations were halted for 90 minutes.