The first commercial aircraft successfully landed and took off from Goa future international airport in Mopa on Monday, according to officials. This was part of the airport’s Required Navigation Performance (RNP).
After the airport in Dabolim, it will become operational and serve as Goa’s second international airport. On Monday at Mopa, an Airbus A320 from Indigo Airlines tested and certified RNP.
“At the planned New Goa International Airport, we have successfully finished the required navigation performance procedure today. The RNP method enables an aeroplane follow predetermined trajectories by employing equipment on board while ensuring integrity and precision.”
According to R V Seshan, CEO of the Goa GMR International Airport, “this procedure not only improves operational efficiency by reducing multiple step-downs and inaccurate circling approaches, but it also offers safety benefits through its precision and accuracy.”
Initially, the much-delayed airport was supposed to be finished within 36 months of the construction order being turned over, which happened in August 2016. This would have meant that the airport would have been finished in 2019 or 2020.
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The project, however, was put on hold first after the Supreme Court granted a stay due to environmental concerns, which caused a delay of more than a year. A new deadline was set for the project’s completion: “anywhere between the end of 2021 and early 2022.”
The airport will be able to be finished either later this year or early next year, according to chief minister Pramod Sawant, who had previously stated that the airport will start operating in August of this year.
Goa’s future Mopa Greenfield Airport will be designed, built, financed, and operated by GMR Airports Ltd, a division of the Bengaluru-based GMR Group, which also guarantees the state a 36.99% revenue share once the airport is operational.
The RNP process must be evaluated and confirmed for accuracy and flyability using simulator and actual aircraft trials after it has been designed for a specific runway of an airfield. In line with the established procedure, the defined flight path is tested during this step by flying an airplane with RNP equipment. The processes are published and propagated for use by all airlines following successful validation and certification, according to a statement from GMR.
“Such processes require a tremendous amount of groundwork in terms of planning, preparation, readiness, testing, and precise execution before an aircraft can validate them at a Greenfield airport. Our team at the New Goa International Airport has accomplished a critical step toward commissioning the airport with this successful RNP flight,” according to the statement.
Activists have resisted the proposed construction of Goa’s second international airport near Mopa hamlet in the state’s far north, 35 kilometers from Panaji, ever since it was first envisioned in May 2000. Due to criticism, the original plan to replace Goa’s existing Dabolim airport—which is also a Navy base—was adjusted to permit the continuation of civilian aircraft operations at Dabolim.
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The first phase of the new airport, which is expected to cost around 1,800 crore and carry 3.4 million passengers, is expected to cost over 3,300 crore. The airport is expected to have a capacity of 13.1 million passengers by the fourth phase in 2045.
