DABOLIM: The state chapter of the CII has been in the forefront in the attempt to change the decision by the Airport Authority of India to demolish a part of the old Dabolim airport.
The demolition was being undertaken to facilitate the construction of another airstrip to help boost the number of take off and landings from the airport.
Kirit Maganlal, chairman of CII Goa said “We have requested the Airport Authority of India (AAI) not to go ahead with their plans and to keep the building intact. This building can be given to AirAsia India for their base, something we have been pushing for very aggressively.”
Once the airline comes in, then perhaps the authorities could work out on the modalities of breaking a part of the building and creating a new airstrip, said Maganlal.
This, he said, could be done in consultation with the government authorities, the Navy and other relevant parties.
Maganlal said, Goa had also received enquiries from other airlines in the country to make Dabolim airport a hub though he was not aware which airlines had shown their interest.
When he was asked if the government would use the services of an external consultant to evaluate these enquiries, he replied he was not aware.
Atul Paikane when contacted said that the government would not be doing so. He also said that he was not aware of which other airlines had evinced interest in making Goa a base.
Kirit said the government would have to now create an Aviation Policy for which the process had already begun. This was important so that all the airlines in the country would know what the stand of the government was.
This would also boost CII’s efforts to make Air Asia India to shift its corporate office to Goa from Chennai. It will have to possibly compete with Bengaluru which is also in the running.
Asked if any of the senior personnel had expressed their opinion on this matter, Kirit said that they were confident because Goa was the place to be and yes also because of Tony’s heritage.
Asked what the airline would expect if the move was to come through he said infrastructure for office space, operations like baggage handling and the like which had to be done fast because aircrafts had to turn around fast to keep within the stipulated time that the airline strictly followed in its operations.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the CII won praise from senior personnel of the airline for the alacrity they had displayed in the run up to the inaugural flight of the airline to Goa from Bengaluru.
