Old airport building must go for new parking bays

PANAJI: Dabolim international airport cannot expand its parking bay for planes unless it pulls down the old airport building which has become redundant after the new terminus building came to be commissioned over a year ago.
The proposal, which was put on the backburner, is being pursued by the airport authorities now.
The travel and tourism association (TTAG), the body of hoteliers and travel and tour operators, also wants the issue to be ended soon.The flights landing at night face problems as parking is not allowed at Dabolim airport after sunset.
The aircraft has to approach other airports outside the state.
While TTAG has been persistently following this issue, a senior airport official said the proposal to build a parking bay at the old airport building is being discussed with the state authorities. “We can accommodate four-five planes at the proposed bay,” he said.
The old building has become non-functional and only a few staff members operate from it. This arrangement, he said, is not only uneconomical but, also illogical. The area can be converted into a parking bay, the official said.
The existing parking bay allows eight aircrafts to park. As a stopgap arrangement, director, Goa airport, B C H Negi, in the last meeting with officials of the Navy and others, said two flights landing at night can be permitted to park provided they depart by 6am, he said.
The direction has already been issued, but so far, the airport authority has not received any request for night parking, he said.
President, TTAG, Savio Messias said it is very crucial that parking at night be facilitated at the Goa airport.
The congestion at the airport between 1pm and 4 pm, is heavy. The flights have to stay put for half-an-hour or more before they get a parking slot.
The problem is grave. The international passengers, and more particularly, tourists landing at Goa airport have to spend an hour and more at the immigration counter in addition to being holed up in the flight for 45 minutes and more on landing.
“Many hotels have received complaints from their guests about the delays at immigration,” he said.
The airport official said they are seized of the problem. The airport director has already given instructions that staff has to be at their immigration counters, at least, two hours before a flight lands.