VASCO: Marking the beginning of the tourism season 2016-17, the first chartered flight with 492 Russian tourists arrived at Dabolim international Airport on Sunday. But all was not destined to be smooth.
Even as the pilot readied the aircraft for touch down around 8.55 am, thick fog played spoilsport (for some time) and the flight had to be diverted to Bangalore.
However, fog failed to spike the party as the first batch of foreign tourists arrived here six hours later.
After the fog got cleared around 11 am, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials at Goa Airport intimated Bangalore ATC, but by then the Goa’s routine flights were landing and taking off and to make matters worse some early flights which were delayed due to foggy conditions were given preference. Also going by the chartered flight’s size, it required more space to taxi around and then park.
Finally, Goa ATC managed to make room for the chartered flight around 3 pm and after a wait of six hours, the flight landed with the first batch of foreign tourists.
The Russian tourists were accorded warm welcome at Dabolim Airport by the officials of Concord Exotic Voyages (P) Ltd (operator of charter flight). Officials of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), Airport Authority of India (AAI) and others were present to welcome the first batch of tourists. Speaking to reporters, General Manager of Concord Exotic voyages India private limited, Sheikh Ismail said in the current tourism season, Goa would witness over 300 percent growth in arrival of international tourists. He claimed that in 10 years’ this is the first time a chartered flight by Concord came to Goa directly from Russia in the first week of October.
Earlier, the schedule was after October 15. He also said in October, Concord would bring in two more chartered flights to Goa and from November, the number would be increased to four flights per month.
