Mopa airport, Goa

January 10, 2023
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mopa airport

Mopa airport, Goa, is an international airport in Goa. Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, inaugurated it. It is the airport whose construction will be completed in phases. Its first phase is completed, and the structure of the second phase is going on. It has a lot of facilities.

Introduction

Mopa Airport is an upcoming international airport in the northern state of Goa, India. The first phase of construction was completed in 2018. The proposed airport will be situated in the Mopa plateau in Pernem taluka, north Goa, and will be spread across 1,424 hectares. The AAI and GSIDC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of the airport on 30th November 2008. Tenders were initially invited on 4th April 2011 but were withdrawn due to specific issues with line ministries of the central government. The tendering process was restarted on 20th December 2011 with revised eligibility criteria where only companies with experience and financial capability were considered eligible to participate in the bidding. The tender was then eventually awarded to GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., a consortium consisting of GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Construction Corporation, based on their technical and financial bids on 18th February 2012 at the cost of ₹15,000 crores.

The state government has approved the site.

The state government has approved the site for Mopa airport. It will be built in the north of Goa and will be made on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The estimated cost of building this airport is Rs 5,000 crore.

The proposed 1,700-acre project aims to create employment opportunities for local people and generate revenue for the state government through development fees from airlines operating out from Goa’s central hub at Dabolim Airport or Margao Airport near Panaji city center.

The airport will require additional land acquisition. How much land will be required?

The current status of land acquisition is that it has been completed in two phases: Phase II (North) and Phase III (South). The latter is still ongoing, with most of its work being done by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is expected that over half a million acres will have been acquired by 2022 when all three phases are complete.

Acquire the land?

The airport authority has stated that they plan to purchase private lands owned by Goa State Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), which owns a majority shareholding of 74% in Mopa Airport Pvt Ltd; GTDC itself owns only a 20% stake in this company while the rest 30% belongs to various investors including foreign entities like Singapore Airlines International Pte Ltd., Airline Management Services Limited, etc., all collectively hold 60%. However, these two entities together own less than 50% shareholding each respectively, so there are no problems related to ownership rights or other legal issues concerning this deal since both parties want something different from each other – GTDC wants its boardroom free from interference, whereas Mopa Airport Pvt Ltd wants more control over operations at Mopa; hence both parties feel comfortable enough sharing ownership rights equally between them rather than going through cumbersome procedures such as public auctioning process every time their demands differ from each other’s proposal on some point because doing so would take a long time away from important business activities like running airline service at Goa International Airport which happens once every between  till1 pm daily except Sundays when no flights operate due holiday schedules being observed during December holidays period has been fixed accordingly.

The CRZ regulations are a set of rules and regulations that are used to protect coastal areas, the environment, and marine life. These regulations also help in maintaining beaches by limiting construction activities within a certain distance from the shoreline.

More than 40 meters stretch of CRZ regulations will be affected because many new projects are being constructed at Mopa airport as well as at other places around Goa like Candolim beach and Calangute Beach. May progress only after the proposed road connecting Aldona with Chorao is operational to divert most of Goa’s vehicular traffic. Mopa Airport is one of the few airports in India that still needs a road connecting it with the city. This makes it difficult for vehicles coming from or going towards Goa to reach their destination. The proposed road will ease traffic congestion at Mopa airport and help travelers get their goals easily.

The road connecting Aldona with Chorao was constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in 2017. It had been functioning since then, but there are still some issues, such as potholes and construction debris on this stretch which affect its smooth operation daily. The upcoming construction work is expected to be completed by 2021. Still, it may take longer if there are delays due to other priorities like the widening of NH-17 between Bardoli-Chorao Road.

Tenders passed for the construction of the airport.

Tenders were initially invited on 4th April 2011 but were withdrawn due to specific issues with line ministries of the central government before their submission by AAI and GSIDC, respectively.

The AAI and GSIDC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of the airport on 30th November 2008.

You may have seen the MoU signed by the AAI and GSIDC on 30th November 2008. The MoU was signed between the two parties for the development of Mopa airport, Goa.

The first phase of work started in 2010, with construction work being carried out on a large scale. Work was then suspended due to delays caused by environmental clearances and other issues, such as funding problems, which led to its cancellation in 2015 before resuming again later that year at reduced rates due to government pressure on its partners involved with this project (AAI/GSIDC).

Tenders were initially invited on 4th April 2011 but were withdrawn due to specific issues with line ministries of the central government.

The tender for the airport project was issued on 4th April 2011. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 15,000 crores and will be funded by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The tendering process was restarted on 20th December 2011 with revised eligibility criteria where only companies with experience and financial capability were considered eligible to take part in the bidding.

The tender was then eventually awarded to GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., a consortium consisting of GMR Infrastructure and Megawide Construction Corporation, based on their technical and financial bids on 18th February 2012 at the cost of ₹15,000 crores.

The construction on Mopa airport in Goa is at last!

As you may already know, the construction on Mopa airport in Goa at last! The airport will be a greenfield one, and it is expected to take three years before it becomes operational. During this period, there will be no flights operating from here as well as most of the vehicles will have to divert their routes through Chorao instead of Aldona village, where the old Mopa airport was.

Some features and details of Mopa Airport, Goa

Mopa Airport is an upcoming international airport in the northern state of Goa, India. The airport will be located in Mopa and is expected to become operational by 2025.

The airport has been planned on a 427-acre plot of land that currently houses an airstrip used for private aircraft and helicopters. The site has been earmarked for development as one of the largest airports in Asia, with an annual capacity to handle 50 million passengers per year. It is also expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 500 people during its construction phase alone, besides attracting investments worth ₹2 billion ($30 million).

Mopa Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit here on 23rd January 2019 at 11 am after being laid out since last year when it was announced by then Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju as part of efforts towards making Goa’ self-sufficient’ regarding flights within India’s borders by 2020-2021…”

The first phase of construction was completed in 2018. The second phase started in  2019 and will be completed by 2023, while the third and final phase is slated for completion by 2028.

The airport will have a single runway with an 8,000-meter airstrip that can accommodate aircraft up to Airbus A380 size. The proposed airport will be situated in the Mopa plateau in Pernem taluka, north Goa, and will be spread across 1,424 hectares.

The airport would have an area of about 20 square kilometers with a capacity to handle up to 50 million passengers per annum. It is expected that the new airport will be operational by 2022-23 for Rs 50 crore.

The airport will be built as a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). The MoU was signed on 30th November 2008.

The project included the construction of an integrated cargo complex comprising two new terminals with associated buildings, runways, and taxiways with the capacity to handle 100 million passengers annually; expansion of the existing terminal operating area; development of passenger amenities including restaurants, lounges, and shopping facilities; development work relating to ancillary activities such as power generation, etc.; construction work related to aircraft parking stands (APS), ramp areas (RA), boarding bridges (BB) and Apron Area (AA).

In December 2013, the AAI entered an agreement with GMR-Megawide to extend the concession period for developing the Mopa airport from 50 years to 60 years. The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Pravin Gupta (AAI Director), Mr. Anil Ambani (Chairman of Reliance Group), and Bhuvan Chandra Singhal (Chairman and Managing Director of GMR-Megawide).

The GMK-MEGA consortium had been awarded a 30-year lease of land at Palolem Beach, Goa, in 2000 for developing an integrated township comprising residential, commercial, and office space with 1500 villas along with marinas on both sides of this stretch of beachfront property which is located about 15 km away from Panaji city center on NH4 highway connecting Mumbai – Bangalore Highway near Salcette town Panaji district goa state India.

Conclusion:

The Mopa airport in Goa is one of the busiest airports in India. It is situated in the North Goa district and is about 29 kilometers away from the state capital, Panaji. The airport is operated by the Airports Authority of India and receives both domestic and international flights.

Mopa airport is an upcoming international airport near Mopa village in Pernem taluka of North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. The airport has a single runway that is 3,050 meters long and is capable of handling large aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. The airport has the capacity to handle 10 million passengers per year and is equipped with the latest technology and equipment. The Government of India is developing the airport under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

The estimated cost of the project is ₹6,000 crores (US$840 million). The airport is expected to start operations in 2025. It will have a capacity of handling 20 million passengers per year.

The airport is being developed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The concessionaire for the airport is the Mumbai-based GVK Group.

The airport will be the second international airport in Goa after the one at Dabolim.

We hope that you will now visit this airport after reading the blog. The airport is expected to become operational by 2022 and will be one of the most expensive airports in India. It may also be the first international airport in India with runways over 3,000 meters long.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1)When did the construction of the Mopa Airport start?

It started around 2015, and since it is a big project, it will be completed in phases.

2)What is the budget for this airport?

The budget will be more than two billion dollars.

3)Where will the airport be situated?

The proposed airport will be situated in the Mopa plateau in Pernem taluka, north Goa.

4)How much area of land will the airport acquire?

The airport is spread over 1424 hectares.

5)When will the airport be operational?

It will be operating from 2025.