Goa’s air con nectivity has taken anoth er hit, with Air India and Air India Express slashing services on key routes to the State as part of a wid er network restructuring exercise, raising fresh con cerns over tourism, busi ness travel and passenger convenience. The latest reductions, scheduled to take effect from June 26, affect both Manohar International Air port at Mopa and Dabolim airport, further shrinking flight options for travellers at a time when Goa is seek ing to boost year-round tourism and improve do mestic connectivity.
Air India Express has cut its Delhi–Mopa services from 21 flights a week to 14, while shelving plans to double fre quencies on the Hyderabad–Goa route. Air India has also scaled back operations on the Mumbai–Dabolim sector, reportedly withdrawing 13 weekly flights, and has re duced services on the Delhi–Mopa route. The cuts come against the backdrop of rising aviation turbine fuel costs, longer flight paths caused by tensions in West Asia, and operational adjustments across the Tata Group-owned airlines’ network. While airlines routinely tweak schedules in response to commercial pressures, the latest reductions add to a growing pattern that has seen Goa steadily lose air links in recent months. The development follows IndiGo’s decision earlier this year to suspend six routes from Goa, resulting in the loss of 32 weekly flight operations.
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The affected sectors includ ed connections from Mopa to Surat, Bhubaneswar, Rajkot, Vadodara and Chandigarh, as well as the Bhopal–Goa route. The State now operates two international airports, yet airlines appear increasingly cautious about deploying ca pacity on several Goa routes. For passengers, the immediate impact is likely to be fewer flight choices. For the tourism industry, the cuts come at a sensitive time as stakeholders work to attract visitors beyond the traditional peak season and broaden Goa’s appeal in domestic markets. Industry observers note that while airlines ultimately al locate aircraft where demand and profitability are strong est, repeated service withdrawals risk weakening Goa’s position in an increasingly competitive tourism market.
