Team Herald
VASCO: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has sought the intervention of the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha for relaxing naval sortie timings at INS Hansa as solution to the issue of passenger rush experienced in the afternoon at the Dabolim International Airport.
According to AAI Director BCH Negi, the issue was raised before Jayant Sinha during his recent visit to Goa Airport where in the minister inspected the terminal building and took stock of town side and air side facilities at Dabolim airport. “After taking stock of situation, we briefed the minister about the afternoon rush at the airport as it increases the time taken by a passenger for his entry in the airport building to the boarding gate. We also informed him that Indian Navy uses the airport for its regular sorties between 8.30 am and 12.30 pm due to which there is a rush between 12.30-3.30 pm as the passenger flights operate during that peak time. The passengers’ entry and boarding takes upto 30 minutes. We want to reduce this timing further so that passengers can enter the airport and be at the boarding point in ten minutes,” Negi told Herald.
He further said, “We have therefore requested the minister to intervene into the matter and seek relaxation on the naval sortie timings so that the afternoon congestion is solved. Also the minister has sought report from us about the present constraints so that he would take up the issue at his level seeking solutions for the same” he added.
It may be recalled that on several occasions, AAI and the Airport Advisory Committee members had raised the issue of afternoon rush at the Dabolim airport.
The committee members had suggested to take up the issue before the Aviation Ministry and seek the intervention of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to hold a joint meeting so that the navy could be directed to shift its sortie timings to some odd hours so that more civilian flights could be accommodated at the airport.
