'Air travel was considered a luxury before 2014': PM Modi targets previous govts during inauguration of Mopa international airport

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (December 11, 2022) inaugurated the first phase of the Mopa greenfield international airport in Goa, he targeted previous governments for adopting a "vote bank approach" instead of creating public amenities. Hailing his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, he stated that in the last eight years, 72 new airports came compared to 70 airports in the earlier 70 years.

"The previous governments had a vote bank approach for decades instead of finding what people needed in terms of creating public amenities," he said while addressing a gathering on the occasion.

He underlined that thousands of crores were spent on projects that were not even required. 

As a result, the places that were in dire need of infrastructural development remained neglected. 

"Goa International Airport is a clear example of this," he added.

Recalling Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government that had initially planned this airport, PM Modi lamented the lack of effort after his government was out of power and the project remained abandoned for many years. 

In 2014, the Prime Minister said that once the double-engine Government came to the scene, work on the airport gained new momentum and he laid the foundation stone 6 years ago despite legal hurdles and the Covid-19 pandemic, this airport is ready to function today. 

The state-of-the-art airport in Mopa will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism in Goa. https://t.co/rY9M4OY6Z5 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2022

He said that air travel was considered a luxury before 2014 (the year he became the prime minister) as only rich people could afford to fly.

"There was no investment made in the aviation sector failing to tap its potential. The country had only 70 airports even 70 years after Independence till 2014," he said.

Prime Minister Modi stated that his government started expanding the network of airports and during the last 7-8 years, 72 airports were created.

"A scheme like UDAN was introduced making travel affordable for the common people to fly. Until 2014, six crore passengers flew annually in India, whose number has gone up to 14 crore, of which one crore flew under the UDAN scheme," he said.

"India of the 21st Century is New India which is making a mark on the global platform, and as a result, the perspective of the world is changing rapidly," PM Modi remarked. 

He also said that the new airport would be named the Manohar International Airport after former Goa chief minister (late) Manohar Parrikar, a BJP stalwart.

"Through Manohar International Airport, Parikkar Ji will remain in the memories of all the commuters," PM Modi said.

Developed at a cost of around Rs 2,870 crores, the Manohar International Airport has been built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure and comprises a solar power plant, green buildings, LED lights on the runway, rainwater harvesting, state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant with recycling facilities, among other such facilities. 

It has adopted some of the best-in-class technologies like 3-D Monolithic Precast buildings, StabilRoad, Robomatic Hollow precast walls, and 5G compatible IT infrastructure. 

Some of the features of the airport include a runway capable of handling the world’s largest aircrafts, 14 parking bays along with a night parking facility for aircrafts, self-baggage drop facilities, state of the art and independent air navigation infrastructure, among others.

Initially, phase I of the Airport will cater to around 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), which can be expanded to a saturation capacity of 33 MPPA. 

The splendidly glittering Goa International Airport, Mopa is all decked up to be inaugurated at the hands of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji today. pic.twitter.com/E74myAWUeV — Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) December 11, 2022

It has the potential of serving as a key logistics hub, directly connecting many domestic and international destinations. It is also planned for the airport to have multi-modal connectivity.

While being a world-class airport, the airport will also provide visitors with a feel and experience of Goa. The airport has extensively used Azulejos tiles, which are native to Goa. The food court also recreates the charm of a typical Goan café. It will also have a designated area for a curated flea market where local artisans and craftsmen will be encouraged to display and market their wares.