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Mopa International Airport (IATA: GOX, ICAO: VOGA) is an under-construction greenfield airport being built at Mopa in Pernem taluka, North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. The airport is being developed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV).[2] It is being built at a cost of ₹3,000 crore (US$380 million). The airport will be built under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model in four phases, with the first phase costing a total of ₹1,500 crore (US$190 million). It was expected to be completed by financial year 2019–2020,[3] but has been delayed to 2022 due to a Supreme Court order that impeded work on site,[4] and also due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which caused lockdowns, restrictions and curfews, resulting in lack of labour and delays in construction. The airport will be completed and opened by December 2022.[5]

Goa International Airport
IATA: GOX ICAO: VOGA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	GMR Goa International Airport Limited
Location	Mopa, Goa
Opened	11 December 2022 (expected)[1]
Coordinates	15.7302°N 73.8631°E / 15.7302; 73.8631
Map
GOX Location of the airport in Goa Show map of Goa GOX GOX (India) Show map of India
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 09/27 12,303 3,750

The concession period for the greenfield project will be 40 years with a possible extension of another 20 years through a bid process. The airport will cater to 4.4 million passengers in the first phase and 13.1 million by the end of the fourth phase.[6] The project will operate on hybrid model with 30% cross subsidy, and the concession offers 232 acres of land for commercial city-side development for a period of 60 years.[7]

History

Goa's current airport at Dabolim is a civil enclave operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a military airfield, owned by the Indian Navy. Civilian and military operations share a common runway, resulting in severe airside congestion. This deters the long-term growth of civilian traffic at the airport.[6] The Central Government had given its in-principle approval for a second airport in the state of Goa as early as March 2000. However, the project was stuck for 14 years due to land acquisition issues and local litigation.

The ICAO's techno-economic feasibility report submitted in 2013, that projected air traffic of 10 million passengers at Goa by 2035, eventually established the feasibility of the Mopa project.[8] The Goa Government issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the project in October 2014.[9] Five bidders, GMR Group, GVK Group, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Essel Infra and Voluptas developers evinced interest. Essel Infra partnered with Zurich Airports, and Voluptas Developers, which belongs to the Hiranandani Group tied-up with Vinci Airports, Rome, to bid for the airport project.[10] On October 28, 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted environment clearance to the project.[11] The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project were issued in January 2016, seeking bids from interested companies to construct the airport. Two of the five companies that responded to the RFQ decided not to participate in the RFP.[10] The bids were opened in August 2016. GMR Airports Limited, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited won the competitive bid to develop and operate the airport. The Airports Authority of India emerged as the second highest bidder followed by the consortium of Essel Infra-Incheon. In October, GMR Airports Limited formed the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) to raise funds for, design, construct and run the project.[2] GMR Airports Ltd signed a concession agreement with the Government of Goa on 8 November 2016.[7]

In 2016, the State Government proposed to establish an Aviation Skill Development centre in order to provide employment opportunities at the airport to local youth.[12] The concessionaire would be required to give preference to bona-fide Goans for all jobs at the airport.[13] This Aviation Skill Development Centre was initially to be set up by the concessionaire either at the Pernem ITI campus or any other ITI centre. However, in 2020, the location of the proposed centre was shifted to the airport premises itself.[14]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on 13 November 2016.[15] In January 2017, the Goa Government declared an area within five km² radius of the airport as 'Mopa International Airport planning area' for the purpose of regulating growth near the project area.[16]

GGIAL and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Delhi on 31 March 2017 for necessary support from the centre to develop the airport. GGIAL invited tenders for the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract in June 2017, which was awarded to Philippines-based Megawide Construction Corporation in February 2018.[17]

The Goa Government finally put its stamp on the project by enacting "The Goa (Mopa Airport Development Authority) Act, 2018"[18] on 5 September 2018. Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry gave security clearance for the construction in October 2018.[19] On 18 January 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the Goa Government and GGIAL to maintain status quo on the project[20] due to environmental impact. Construction of phase 1 of the airport was underway when the top court had given its order. The Court allowed resuming of construction work at the project site in January 2020.[21]

The State Government has acquired 78.41 lakh square metres of land for the proposed airport from villages of Casarvarnem, Chandel, Varconda, Uguem and Mopa in Pernem taluka.[22] GGIAL expects the airport to be inaugurated in December 2022. The airport will have a code 'E' compliant, 3.5 kilometre long runway with Rapid Exit Taxiways. The airport will have an Integrated Passenger Terminal Building, Air Traffic Control (ATC) building, meteorological facilities, a cargo terminal, ancillary facilities for processing and storage, aircraft rescue and firefighting services and infrastructure for aviation fuel.

As of December 2021, 50% work of the airport has been completed, and additional 25% work is expected to be completed by March 2022 for testing of the airport, which will be conducted by Directorate General of Civil Aviation.[23]

As of July 2022, 90% work of the airport has been completed, and testing of the airport's Instrument Landing System (ILS) has also been successfully calibrated, ensuring safe landing of aircraft and making the airport capable for commercial operations. The airport was expected back then to become operational on 15 August 2022.[24][25]

As of October 2022, the inauguration of the airport has been postponed to December 2022.[26] Oman's flag carrier, Oman Air, has confirmed to become the first international airline to begin international flights to Oman's capital, Muscat from the airport from 1 January 2023, after the commissioning of the airport.[27][28]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Oman Air	Muscat (begins 1 January 2023)[29]

See also

• Dabolim Airport

References

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