Centre to develop biggest airport, after Mumbai, in Goa's Mopa

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu had last week announced that Goa will become a logistics hub of India after a second airport becomes functional in 2020 in the state.

PANAJI: The Union Government will develop the country's biggest airport, which will be next only to Mumbai, in Mopa district of Goa.

According to a government press release, ''A joint team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Commerce Logistics Department will visit Goa on May 7-8, 2018 to facilitate the development of cargo hubs at the new airport to be constructed at Mopa in Goa.''

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the joint team will meet Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries to work together in order to leverage the advantages the state offers in terms of connectivity to the coastal belt of Western India. 

''The four coastal states in the western part of the country, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa, will benefit greatly from the biggest airport, after Mumbai, to be constructed in Mopa,'' it said in the release.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu had last week announced that Goa will become a logistics hub of India after a second airport becomes functional in 2020 in the state. 

The two airports in Goa, at Dabolim and Mopa, will help position the state as a major logistics hub, he said.

''Mopa airport will have the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually as well as cargo, the minister said. 

Prabhu stated that the cargo policy to be announced by the Government of India will help to contribute 40 % of India’s GDP from global trading. 

Dabolim airport will also be upgraded with an investment of about 600 crores, he added.

(With PIB inputs)