Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the Indian Navy will make more use of Goa's only airport for military purposes in the coming years.
Pointing to the need for Goa's upcoming second airport at Mopa, Parrikar told the assembly that the Dabolim international airport, which operates from a naval base in Vasco, would remain operational even after the Mopa airport comes up.
"... because it is a defence airport, (there is a) naval requirement. Two aircraft carriers will be placed on the western coast and the third one may be on the eastern sea coast. These two together require around 100 aircraft, either stationed on the aircraft carrier or stationed at Goa," Parrikar, a former Defence Minister, said.
"When the next aircraft carrier arrives, naval planes will fly for an hour and a half to two hours (more)," Parrikar said, adding that currently the Navy uses the Vasco airport for three and a half hours.
--IANS
maya/tsb