Team Herald
VASCO: Completing a year after the Dabolim International Airport remained operational serving the people despite the nationwide lockdown, Airport Director Gagan Malik on Tuesday said that the uninterrupted functioning and providing services to the people during the COVID-19 pandemic by Goa Airport is a big achievement and the State of Goa for working in sync.
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Malik said that the Dabolim International Airport has played a vital role specifically with regards to the COVID-19 vaccines handling which came via air. These vaccines were important as they were supposed to be given to the frontline workers. We received the first slot of vaccines on January 13, via Mumbai. So far we have received vaccines in three lots. Overall average time is 15 minutes, which we have taken to offload the cargo and give it to the consigned. Besides this, the vaccines for some parts of Karnataka State such as Belagavi etc have come via Goa Airport and were later transferred to Karnataka.
When asked about the changes which occurred at the airport after lockdown was announced last year, Malik said that when the lockdown was announced the civil aviation had stopped. But there was an exception with regards to Goa Airport that is the overseas nationals which were present in Goa at that time, their countries decided to take them back considering the pandemic issue. And because of this matter, during the lockdown period the Goa Airport remained functional.
He further said that during the lockdown period roughly around 10,000 overseas tourists were sent back to their countries from Goa. Overall, 117 relief flights from Goa Airport have took off during lockdown wherein 18,877 adults and 286 infants reached their destinations world over.
When asked about the stranded Indians abroad, the director revealed that bringing back the stranded Indians back was also another important task during the pandemic. Therefore, it was decided to start repatriation flights, Vande Bharat Mission flights were started later. As on March 20, 86 repatriation flights were handled in which 13,409 adults and 128 infants were brought back to India from UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Barbados, Italy, UK, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Mongolia, Netherland, Egypt, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Commenting on the stranded seafarers’ issue, Malik said that, during the lockdown, Goan seafarers were facing hardships. The initial flight which came to Goa brought seafarers mostly from Italy and Barbados. At that time, there was fear psychosis among people about Coronavirus. Our staff worked in teams following all the government norms. As per the Vande Bharat Mission, around 62 Vande Bharat flights has been handled in which 9,367 adults and 99 infants were handled by Goa Airport in which Indians from UK, UAE, Kuwait and Oman were brought back. COVID-19 pandemic might have brought every other thing to stand still but the Goa Airport remained operational without remaining closed for one day providing uninterrupted services to people which I feel is a big achievement of Goa State.
