Real Estate Boom Near Mopa Airport Raises Safety Concerns

The greenfield Manohar International Airport at Mopa, North Goa, celebrated for its state-of-the-art safety features and strategic planning, may soon be facing unforeseen challenges from rapid and unregulated real estate development in its vicinity.

Since its inauguration in January 2023, the airport has witnessed a construction boom in the surrounding Pernem taluka, driven largely by rising demand for hotels, holiday homes, and commercial establishments. The surge, industry experts warn, threatens to undermine the very safety and expansion advantages that were built into the airport’s original design.

“Greenfield airports are meant to provide a clean slate, a chance to avoid the mistakes of older urban airports hemmed in by haphazard growth,” said a senior official involved in aviation planning. “But unless strict zoning and land-use laws are enforced, we risk repeating history – and eroding critical safety margins like the air funnel zone,” he added.

The “funnel zone” is the critical airspace around runway approaches and departures that must remain clear of high-rises or obstructions to ensure safe aircraft landings and take-offs. The Air India crash at Ahmedabad earlier this month has heightened concerns, prompting renewed scrutiny of air corridors and aviation safety protocols across the country.

However, officials from GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), which operates the Mopa airport, have downplayed any immediate threat. “We have a 3.75-kilometre-long runway and clear space along the funnel zone,” said a GMR spokesperson. “Like most international airports, the funnel zones here are well protected. Moreover, the government is in the process of finalising regulations to restrict vertical growth in these sensitive zones,” he added.

Reinforcing their confidence in the airport’s layout, the spokesman described Mopa as a “tabled airport” – built atop a plateau and surrounded by hilly terrain. “Given the topography, it’s unlikely that high-rises or large-scale developments will crop up along the slopes,” the spokesman argued. Yet, the spokesman acknowledged a variable that remains beyond human control: the weather. “Yes, visibility could be affected at times due to fog, especially during certain seasons. But this is a standard issue faced by airports across the world and is managed operationally,” he stated.

Airport planners and environmental observers, however, caution that it’s not just visibility or hills that matter. “Even structures that aren’t directly in the funnel can impact aviation if they interfere with radio signals or wildlife patterns,” an aviation consultant said. “That’s why a comprehensive no-construction buffer – not just vertical limits – is essential,” he added.

Meanwhile, the airport has ambitious expansion plans, including new runways, taxiways, terminals, and proposals for a hotel and medical tourism hospital, aiming to develop an integrated airport city. But all of this hinges on the delicate balance between growth and safety.