Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 1: With Goa's tourism sector opening up, the flight operations, passenger arrivals are on the rise. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) operated 70 flights on Friday alone. After the state government permitted the opening up of casinos from November 1, a further increase in the flight operations is expected.

On October 29, Goa International Airport handled 33 arrivals and 33 departures, suggesting that flight movement and passenger traffic is higher on the weekends.

“The good old busy days of Goa International Airport are returning back swiftly,” said airport director Gagan Malik. “On October 30 the airport handled 35 arrivals and 35 departure of flights. Arriving passengers were 5,274 and departing passengers were 3,112. In all 8,386 passenger footfalls.”

On Saturday, the airport also handled an international direct flight, the 59th relief flight to London flew out with 220 passengers including four children. A Vande Bharat mission flight with 178 passengers landed on Saturday morning from London under the Centre’s air bubble arrangement.