Some well-known airlines have already started cancelling their flights from Dabolim airport and are opting to fly from Manohar International Airport in Mopa.
Despite some politicians claiming that Dabolim airport will not be closed in future, the hollowness of this claim has started showing even before the Mopa airport starts full-fledged operation.
When GT contacted some of the flight ticket booking agents, they revealed that some of their customers have started receiving messages from the airlines stating that their previous bookings have been cancelled and they should take their money back.
The agents said that it is understood that the same flights will now depart from Mopa airport on the same schedule.
Parshuram Sonurlekar, a ticket booking agent from Vasco, informed that two airlines -- Indigo and Go First -- have already announced that they will stop their Dabolim flights from January 1, 2023. Looks like other airlines will follow suit, he added.
Since it is not affordable for the airlines to keep staff at both airports, there are currently indications that most of them will prefer one of the two locations.
A passenger from South Goa informed that he received a message from the airline that his booking from Dabolim airport was cancelled. The message stated that the flight for which the booking had been made would not depart on that day and he should take the money back.
The said passenger had booked two tickets for Goa-Mumbai-Dehradun in the first week of January. On further enquiry, the passenger learnt that the airline had decided to cancel the flight on the same day and at the same time. He said that other passengers also had this experience.
On further inquiry with Eraz Mulla, an air ticket booking agent in Margao, some people have received similar messages. It is now the turn of all these passengers to book new tickets.
Later when inquired about the possibility of change in ticket booking method post-announcement of Mopa opening, he informed that passengers in North Goa have completely turned their backs on Dabolim airport and, as a result, demand to fly from Dabolim has reduced to some extent.