VASCO: Dabolim international airport is one of the very important airports for Airport Authority of India (AAI), and thus AAI have projected investment of Rs 500 crore that would be rolled out over next three years and distinctive changes at the airport would be visible by the end of 2017 after implementation of short term measures, said AAI Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra. He was addressing newsmen at Dabolim airport terminal building on Friday

“AAI has projected investment of Rs 500 crore that would be rolled out over next three years. We have categorised our plans in short and long term basis. In short term, we would introduce newer facilities and reworking on the existing systems with the aim to further decongest Dabolim airport during peak hours and long term planning has new infrastructure facilities like aero bridges which would be ready by October this year and parallel taxi way that would be ready within 18 months time. In absence of parallel taxi track, AAI has been facing abundant constraints in handling the flights as the time consumed in landing and taxing gets prolonged,” Mohapatra said.

He further said, “Goa airport is very important airport for AAI and thus we have listed Goa airport as one of the top six facilities under AAI. Also we have taken out the control of its regional office, bringing Goa airport directly under control of headquarter and monitoring is directly under the chairman level and not by the regional headquarters. Now Goa airport director directly reports to the headquarters for all approvals, this helps in faster approval and efficient monitoring of works.”

In the list of amenities, the AAI has planned three more aerobridges, construction of new toilets, installation of escalators and creating more space area for the passengers, food courts etc. “The airport handles close to six million passengers annually and the footfalls will grow in the years to come and considering increasing demand we have been upgrading facilities here,” he said.

He also allayed fears that Goa facility which is also known as Dabolim airport would be discontinued once international facility at Mopa is in place. “Goa is important tourist destination so even when Mopa airport would be in place, Dabolim would continue. Mopa is for North and Dabolim is for South Goa. Both have unique advantages, disadvantages, limitations and constraints. I don’t any conflict in between,” Mohapatra said.