According to a letter from the Directorate of Civil Aviation on Monday, the Goa government has asked GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) to avoid using any suffix or prefix with the term MOPA Airport and instead designate it “Manohar International Airport.” Dr. S. Shanbhogue, the state’s director of civil aviation, stated in a release on behalf of the Goa government that even after renaming the Greenfield International Airport Manohar International Airport, several airlines, sub-licensees, other airports, and even GGIAL were using different names for the facility.
“The GGIAL is using ‘New Goa’ as a pre-fix to ‘Manohar International Airport’ everywhere. It is reiterated that no prefix or suffix can be used with the name ‘Manohar International Airport’; therefore, the GGIAL should stop writing ‘New Goa’ immediately,” the letter stated. The letter further instructed that the name has been approved by the Central cabinet and the state cabinet and a resolution was also passed in the state Assembly.
The letter further stated that the GGIAL must carry the same name for all purposes without any prefix or suffix to the term for any branding, social media platforms, announcements at the airports and flights, etc. The director ordered GGIAL to comply with the direction within eight days, warning that any non-compliance will be dealt with seriously.
Developed at a cost of about Rs 2,870 crore, the airport is built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the airport in November 2016. “The development of a Greenfield airport at Mopa, Goa is a prestigious project being developed by the State Government of Goa under public-private-partnership (PPP) mode at a revised sanctioned project cost of Rs 2,870 crore,” read the official statement from the government.
The new international airport is located in northern Goa, approximately 35 kilometres from Panaji, the state capital. The Centre awarded Goa’s government in-principle clearance to build a greenfield airport in Mopa village in March 2000.
According to official information, the airport is expected to promote the socio-economic development of the state and meet the needs of the tourism industry. It has the potential to serve as a major logistics hub, directly connecting several domestic and international destinations. Multi-modal connectivity is also planned for the airport. Being a world-class airport, the airport will also give visitors the feel and experience of Goa.
“The existing airport at Goa which is a Civil Enclave for which a terminal building is maintained by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a defence airport belonging to the Indian Navy. Goa’s Dabolim airport will not be closed for civilian use even after the new international airport at Mopa becomes fully operational,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation had said earlier.