Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 7: A four-day-long closure of Goa airport has not affected the tourist flow in the state, a senior official said, as the airlines companies had announced rescheduling of the fights in advance.
 
Director of Goa tourism Swapnil Naik said that there have been no flight cancellations after partial closure of the airstrip for annual maintenance.
 
The airstrip is being closed between 7 am to 4 pm for four days from April 5-8. Indian Navy which maintains the airport has said that the closure is for the regular maintenance so that the operations can be smoother during the monsoons.
 
Naik said that the tourism industry, so far, has not informed about any cancellations or troubles. The long weekend, he said, continues bringing in tourists, mostly domestic.
 
The chartered flights have already wrapped up their operations.
 
The airport caters to 35 flights every day besides the military sorties carried out by the planes attached to INS Hansa. The naval base is a home for ten squadrons, catering to the nation’s maritime safety.
 
Earlier during the week, Indian Navy announcing the partial closure of the airstrip, had said that the planned repairs would go a long way in facilitating safe and efficient operations, especially during monsoon
 
Navy's public relations officer Commander Prashant Mathur had said that the dates of closure were finalised after taking all the stakeholders including Airport Authority of India into confidence.