Goa's main airport is located 30 kilometers from Panaji, the capital of the state, near the city of Vasco da Gama, in the vicinity of the village of Dabolim. Its area is over one hundred hectares.
On average, Goa Airport is capable of serving more than two hundred thousand passengers arriving in India and accepting about seven hundred international flights a year. And this is 90% of the total number of charter flights in the country.
History
The airport was built in the mid 50s of the last century by the colonial government of Portugal, mainly to serve the local TAIP airlines.
Beginning in 1961, the airport was repeatedly bombed by the Indian Air Force, and by the end of the same year, as a result of the Indian Air Force's liberation action "Operation Vijay", it finally passed into the hands of the Indian government.
Today it is the only airport in Goa, consisting of two terminals, one of which has been assigned international status.
Maintenance and service
Thirty-degree heat and an incredibly large number of service providers, porters, taxi drivers and rickshaws. It is a matter of honor for them to find a rich tourist and promote him to the fullest. And the main task now is not to get hooked on them.
Therefore, it is best to get from the airport to your destination by a local shuttle bus. Its stop is located across the road, thirty meters to the left of the airport exit.
Alternatively, you can take a "prepaid" taxi, the counter of which is on the left at the exit from the terminal.
It should be borne in mind that the fares here are somewhat overestimated. Nevertheless, it is possible to get to the nearest hotels in North Goa for 15 - 20 $. Travel time by car to Panaji is 30-40 minutes.
A flight from Goa to Delhi, Banglador, Mumbai and other capitals of the states of India, as well as to major tourist centers such as Agra, Jaipur, Koji, will take from one hour to three and a half hours, their cost is from $ 100 or more, depending on the distance and time of flight.
Inside the airport building, as elsewhere, there are souvenir stalls, ATMs, grocery stores and small cafes. Equipped with ramps.
There is a currency exchange at the airport, but the rate here is not the best, so it is recommended to use its services only in extreme cases.
As a disadvantage, it should be noted that the drive is very stuffy, it is practically not ventilated, and there is no toilet paper in the toilets.
