Dabolim International Airport. Goa International Airport Vasco da Gama Dabolim

international Airport Dabolim is the only air transport hub in the state of GOA. For many tourists who want to go to this resort, the question arises: "Where is Dabolim Airport?". The air transport hub is located near the village of Dabolim, Goa. The airport terminal receives tourists from all over the world around the clock.

Most often, the guests of the air hub are foreign tourists, rather than local residents. This is due to the fact that the cost of air tickets is too expensive for the population of Goa. The activity of the air transport hub is aimed at the implementation of tourist charter flights in different countries Europe and Asia.

GOA Dabolim Airport

The terminal building was built in 1950. The area allocated for construction was 101 hectares. At that time, the TAIP airline was based there. Until 1961, she carried out regular transportation to the nearest regions:

• Daman;
• Mozambique.

At the end of 1961, the bombing of the air force began in India, as a result of which part of the buildings of the air transport hub were destroyed. In early 1962, three aircraft civil aviation made an emergency flight to the neighboring area - Karachi. By 1962, the airfield was occupied by the Indian Navy. As a result, the airfield completely became the property of the Indians.

The first passengers of Dabolim Airport

The first tourists on the airport grounds in the early 1960s were Indian hippies.

The first route they took was from Bombay. Regular civil aviation flights were launched only by 1966. The airline with which the flights were carried out was Indian Airlines.

A little later, the air hub was fully adapted to receive aircraft with high jet thrust. However, it is worth noting that both in the 60s and at the present time, for the majority of the local population, air travel is too expensive. Therefore, the basis of the activity of the aerodrome is either charter flights or international destination.

Information about Dabolim Airport

For one year Goa airport on average takes about 90% of charter tourist flights. Passenger turnover of the airport on international lines is about 150-200 thousand tourists. However, if we consider the passenger turnover of this airfield against the background of the total number of tourists visiting India, then the number is 5-10%. The main emphasis on the work of the terminal of international flights falls on the night and morning hours. During this period they arrive passenger aircraft from the following countries:

• Russian Federation;
• Great Britain.

The total number of tourists visiting the Goa resort in one year is estimated at 101,000 tourists from the UK and 42,000 from Russia. On average, the total number of charter flights from Moscow reaches 240 flights per year.

Terminal scheme and infrastructure description

The GOA airport consists of one modern terminal equipped with several levels.

One of these levels serves exclusively flights to international destinations. In addition, flights to the following domestic destinations fly from the air hub:

• Delhi;
• Mumbai;
• Lucknow;
• Nakpur and other major cities in India.

To date, more than 700 different flights are operated from the air transport hub. If you consider the airport GOA Dabolim on the map , then it can be determined that it is located 26 kilometers from the capital of the state of Panaji. About 2/3 of flights have the status of "charter". The new terminal building was opened in 2014. There are 12 luggage escalators and about 15 elevators on the territory to move around the different levels of the terminal. From 2014 to the present, about 4 million people a year have passed through the new terminal. The terminal consists of three levels:

1. The first level or Ground floor is located on the ground floor. There is registration for domestic and foreign destinations. The baggage drop point is also located on the lower level.
2. The ground floor includes the arrivals hall for domestic and international flights. Airport security point, check-in desks for international destinations and a customs post.
3. On the second floor there are various cafes and souvenir shops, as well as a security point for domestic and international destinations.

Terminal scheme

Services provided at the airport

Unfortunately, despite developed infrastructure airport, the quantity and quality of services provided differs sharply for the worse than in European airports. Very often, negative reviews are heard from tourists that the airport is not properly equipped.

1. The website of Dabolim Airport (online scoreboard) does not always display information about the status of the flight in real time. Website link: https://rasp.yandex.ru/station/9624933/?start=2018-02-6T22%3A34%3A35&from=wraspstatus&event=departure.
2. The baggage wrapping counter is located on the ground level, in the baggage check-in area. Please note that the administration is not responsible for the safety of things left at the airport. The cost of packing one piece of luggage will cost 300 rupees, which is about 5 dollars. Do not leave any items of easy fire (forbidden for carriage) in your baggage. During the screening, the airport employee will ask you to get them out of the bag.
3. The mother-and-child room is open 24/7 and is ready to receive passengers with children under 2 years of age. It is fully equipped with everything necessary for a young mother and baby.
4. You can exchange currency at the exchange office located on the first level of the airport terminal.
5. You can have a snack while waiting for a flight in a specially designated cafe. It is located next to the waiting room for international lines. In addition, small vending machines with various snacks are located throughout the entire aviation complex.
6. Unfortunately, free Wi-Fi is not available at the airport. However, you can connect to the Internet for a fee. Internet provider - TataIndicom.

Luggage storage services for VIP zone passengers in this airport not provided. In addition, most experienced tourists advised to beware of the local service offered, as most local residents trying to get rich at the expense of ordinary people. Prices for some services at the airport are very high.

Airport parking

The airport has a parking lot for 500 parking spaces, the building is located on several levels. The cost of parking from 2 hours will cost you 85 rupees - this is about 1.5 dollars. There is a public transport bus stop in front of the parking building.

Hotels near the airport

There are no hotels located on the territory of the air transport hub, however, within a radius of several kilometers you can find a place to stay for the night:

1. Located 9 kilometers from the airport Village Hotel Club Goa. In addition to cozy rooms, the hotel offers: a Turkish hammam, and a spa center. Each room has Wi-Fi, a minibar and a TV. The hotel managers are happy to offer you excursion program. Restaurants and bars are located throughout the hotel.
2. The resort area of ​​Coconut Creek is located five kilometers from the airport. It offers: swimming area, swimming pool, internet and TV, restaurants, cafes of Indian, Chinese and Italian cuisine, spa. Each room has a set for personal hygiene, a mini-bar.
3. Hotel Grand Hyatt located 25 minutes from the airport. The territory of the hotel occupies more than 28 hectares. Rooms with great views of the beach. Each room has a minimum set of personal items, a mini-bar.

Village Club Hotel Goa

How to get from the city to the airport GOA Dabolim

Since the location of the airport is located 26 kilometers from the capital of Goa, most tourists get to their destination in a fast and comfortable mode of transport - a transfer or a taxi.

1. The journey by taxi will take about 30-40 minutes. The cost of the trip will cost you from 700 rupees. The price is high, but the trip will be made with maximum comfort. Remember that it is better not to use the services of street taxi drivers. They are overpriced for a lot. There is an official taxi stand at the airport. You can place an order at Taxi GOA by calling + 91 832 222 89 89.
2. The official website of GOA Dabolim Airport has information about the transfer. This type of transportation is the fastest. In addition, customers have the opportunity to pre-order a class of transport suitable for the number of passengers. When booking a car, you can find out the cost of the trip. The advantage of the transfer is that the driver will make a personal meeting near the car with a sign.
3. Another great opportunity to get from the capital to the airport is to take a suburban train. The fact is that, despite the great remoteness from Panaji, Goa airport is connected by railway lines. So, to get from Panaji to the airport, you need to take a high-speed train to Mumbai. It will take 1 hour to get to the airport. The ticket price will cost 20 cents.
4. You can get by bus for those tourists who do not have a lot of luggage with them. The fact is that public transport in Goa is not designed to carry luggage. You can get from Panaji to Dabolim with a change at Vasco da Gama. The total price for the road will cost you 45 rupees.

Official site

Indian Airport Goa located near the village of Dabolim, so it was called by that name. On the map of India, this is the most small region countries. It is located in the middle between the resorts of the southern and northern coasts, 29 km from the main city of Panaji.

History of development

The first terminal was built in 1950 when the area was a Portuguese colony. After India's struggle for independence in 1962, political map countries changed, and the airport was taken over by the Indian military. It is currently part of the Hansa base.

When in the 1960s the first hippie travelers reached Goa, the need arose for the development of this region, and the first hotels began to be built. The state authorities chose which airport tourists could fly to and agreed with the military to use the Dabolim terminal for peaceful purposes. In 1966 The first civilian flight arrived in Goa, India.

Now Goa Dabolim Airport already consists of two terminals, one of which serves domestic flights, and the new one, opened in March 2014, receives international flights. The main passengers of Dabolim Airport are tourists of international scheduled and charter flights. The runway of the airport has a length of 2393 m and rests on sea ​​coast and the beach, which makes takeoffs and landings very unusual.

Contacts

Airport code:

• international IATA - GOI;
• ICAO-VOGO.

Goa airport address: 403801, Dabolim, Vasco da Gama, Goa, India.

Contact phones for communication: +91 832 540 806.

The official website of Goa Airport is www.goanairport.com.

The site has little useful information, except online scoreboard, by which you can check the arrival and departure of flights.

Opening hours: until 08 am and from 12 noon.

It is important to know in advance at what time the planes arrive, because. in the morning hours from 09 to 12 only military sorties are carried out, and the rest of the time is allocated for civil aviation. Often, passengers arriving at Dabolim Airport are forced to queue for passport control upon arrival, because two or three planes landed one after the other due to this limitation in the operation of the airport. Flights from Russia arrive in Goa at night or early in the morning.

Ticket check-in and baggage handling at the airport starts 3 hours before the flight departure.

Important! You must have your passport and air ticket with you. Since Dabolim Airport is primarily a military facility, at the entrance each passenger is checked for a printed document on English language, in extreme cases, a scan on a smartphone / tablet confirming the flight. They won't let you inside without it.

parking

Near the terminal there is a parking lot and multi-level car parking for 570 cars. Parking for 2 hours is INR 85 (approximately USD 1.5). Taxis and tourist buses park in front of the airport building.

How to get to Goa airport

The main flow of passengers who arrive in Goa are tourists. They are met by host Indian companies and taken by bus to their hotels.

There is an official taxi stand at the airport. The cost of the trip depends both on the distance of the trip and on the availability of air conditioning in the car. Prices and cities are indicated on the yellow board. For example, from the airport to Calangute beach (43 km) a taxi will cost $12 and with air conditioning - $14, to the Colva resort, respectively - $7-8, to hotels on Varca beach - $10-12. Payment is made through machines in rupees.

It is better for tourists not to use public transport, because. it is not intended for moving with luggage, and its routes are not connected with the main resorts, you will have to make several transfers. There is no schedule as such. The bus from the airport goes to the city of Vasco da Gama, then you can get to Panaji, and from there to the resort villages.

In addition, in the village of Dabolim, 1 km from the airport, there is a station railway. Trains go to Mumbai and Delhi. But it is important to keep in mind that Indian train travel is very specific.

You can also rent a car at the airport, but due to the chaotic and unpredictable traffic on Indian roads, it is better to take a taxi.

Airport map

The new international terminal is a two-story building with departure and arrival halls, a flight board, air ticket offices and small souvenir shops.

Airport Services

Luggage packing

The baggage wrapping counter is located in the international terminal. For the safety of things, as well as to avoid contamination and damage to suitcases, it is better to wrap the luggage with a protective film. The cost is about 300 rupees (approximately $5).

Important! Lighters are not allowed in checked baggage. During the inspection, they are always required to be taken out and left.

Luggage storage

There is no luggage storage service at Goa Airport.

Room for mother and child

Dabolim Airport provides conditions for passengers with children. The new international terminal has a room where parents can take care of the baby.

Currency exchange

You can change money at the currency exchange offices located in the departure and arrival areas.

VIP room

There is no VIP Lounge at Dabolim Airport

WiFi

There is paid wi-fi at the Goa airport. To use it, you need to connect to the TataIndicom network.

Meals at the airport

You can have a snack before the flight in a small cafe, which is located in the international terminal, or buy snacks from the snack machine.

Airport Hotels

The nearest hotels are located 1.5 km from the airport near the Bogmalo beach. It offers tourists Coconut Creek Resort 3 *, Bogmalo Beach 3 * and numerous private apartments.

Served airlines

You can fly to Goa airport by charter during the season (autumn - winter - spring), by a regular flight of international airlines that fly all year round, and Indian Airways from major cities countries daily.

The main airlines that have Goa on their regular schedule are Emirates from Dubai, Qatar Airways from Doha and Air Arabia from Sharjah. European carriers send their passengers on codeshare flights with Indian Jet airline Airways India.

When the tourist season opens, usually in late October - early November, several airlines operate charter flights from Russia. Each year their list may change depending on the agreement with the tour operators. Usually these are Azur Air, Royal Flight or a / c Russia.

Air India and small local charter carriers fly to the major airports of Mumbai and Delhi several times a day.

India is becoming more popular country for beach holiday, the flow of tourists to the resorts of Goa is growing every year. Of all the international flights that land at Dabolim, thirty percent of the planes come from Russia. With the advent of the new terminal, arrivals and departures have become more comfortable.

Video

Goa Dabolim Airport (IATA code - GOI) is located 30 kilometers from the administrative center of the state of Panaji in the town of Dabolim. Since these are the only air gate states through which you can get to the famous Goa beaches, TOP-trips decided to figure out in detail how to get from Goa Dabolim Airport to resorts and hotels.

Goa Dabolim International Airport serves about 8.5 million passengers a year. Most of the flights served are charters delivering to resorts goa tourists from different countries.

Goa Airport is located 30 kilometers from the town of Dabolim.

A modern terminal operates at Goa Airport, replacing two outdated ones. New terminal serves both international and domestic flights to cope with the growing passenger traffic.

At first glance, Goa Dabolim airport seems too simple, however, there is everything to ensure a comfortable stay - rest rooms, a medical center, duty free, a cafe, a luggage packing machine, a currency exchange office, a mobile operator's office, a multi-level car park .

Terminal capacity - 4 million passengers per year

Civil aviation shares the Goa air hub with the Indian Navy, so regular and charter flights arrive mainly in the morning and evening hours, the rest of the time is given to the military.

In addition, you can get to the airport no earlier than 4 hours before departure - this means that you should take care of accommodation in nearby hotels in advance in order to catch your plane on time.

Look out for Coconut Creek and Beach Bay Cottages, both located nearby and offering airport transfers. Detailed information about them and other hotels near Goa airport.

Cheap flights to Goa Airport

In the season that resorts in Goa lasts from November to May, direct flights are offered by many air carriers. Choose the most budget options the easiest way is through a search engine that tracks the best prices for tickets to Goa Dabolim Airport on the official websites of the airlines:

Goa Dabolim airport map

Goa airport is small, there should not be any difficulties with orientation, but the scheme, nevertheless, will not be superfluous.

Airport on the map

Public transport to Goa resorts

The airport is located right between the South and North coasts of Goa: any of the resorts of the state from the airport can be reached both by bus and by train. But don't count on a comfortable ride on public transport - Indian buses and trains are often overcrowded.

Bus

There is a bus service between Dabolim Airport and coastal resorts, but the buses run irregularly, you need to be prepared for traditional Indian carelessness - they do not have a clear schedule, but there are breaks for breakfast and lunch.

From Goa airport to the town of Vasco da Gama can be reached by bus

There is no bus numbering, you need to look at the route on the sign on the windshield or ask the driver or conductor. By bus from Goa airport, you can get to the town of Vasco da Gama, and from there transfer to transport to the resort or hotel you need. Such a trip, depending on the distance, will cost from 30 to 100 rupees (2019).

A train

The distance to the nearest railway station to Goa airport is Dabolim 1 km, a little further, about 5 km, there is Vasco da Gama station, from where trains go to Margao station in the southern part of Goa and Thivim station in the north.

Vasco da Gama railway station is located 5 km from the airport

And already from these stations to the resorts you will need to get by bus or taxi. Train tickets should be purchased in advance, it is almost impossible to buy them immediately before the trip.

Taxi from Goa airport

The taxi option is well suited for both those who have packed a lot of things or arrived with a child, and travelers who simply appreciate comfort. You can take a taxi from the terminal to any resort or hotel in Goa. The car can be found near the exit from the airport building or called to your arrival through a specialized website [link].

Taxi to Goa airport can be called for your arrival through a specialized website

The latter method is often more successful, since in the resorts of Goa there are frequent cases of deception of tourists by taxi drivers. The Internet service, in turn, provides the full cost of the service even before the actual confirmation of the order. As a result, the temptation of the driver to drive you in circles (India is such India) is completely eliminated.

In addition, if necessary, you can additionally order child seats in a meeting car or a car with a large trunk.

Finally, in the case of an online order, you do not have to worry about a delay or cancellation of your flight. The taxi service independently monitors the airport scoreboard and sends a car, taking into account any changes in the schedule.

You can estimate the actual costs of the trip depending on the end point of the trip or book a taxi from Goa airport to your hotel on this page.

Video from Goa airport

Photos by: Joegoauk Goa, wiki-turizm.ru, All about India, just_drimer – LiveJournal, La Rana Viajero, in-trips.ru, Subtleties of tourism.

Perhaps all travelers who are hungry for adventure sooner or later find themselves in the most colorful state of India - Goa. To help tourists, I collected the most useful information about how to get to Goa from Russia and other Indian cities, as well as from Goa Dabolim Airport to the coolest beaches and resort towns of North and South Goa.

How to get to Goa from Russia?

• During the season (November to May), direct charter flights fly to Goa Nordwind airlines Airlines, Transaero, UTair and others from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk. The cost of an air ticket for a direct flight Moscow - Goa is from $ 290 in two directions.
• There are no direct flights to Goa from Russia during the off-season. You can fly from Moscow to Delhi on a regular Aeroflot or Transaero flight, and then transfer to a train or plane to Goa. Airfare for a direct flight Moscow – Delhi – from $146. In addition, there is an option to buy a flight Moscow - Mumbai at a price of $ 212 in two directions, from where it is already much closer to get to Goa than from Delhi.

How to get to Goa from other cities in India?

If you flew to Delhi or Mumbai, then Goa can be reached in the following ways. The distance from Delhi to Goa is 1880 km, from Mumbai to Goa is 604 km.

Train to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi

• From Delhi, trains to Goa depart from New Delhi and H.Nizamuddin railway stations. Travel time - 27.5 hours. Ticket price is $28.
• From Mumbai, trains to Goa depart from the railway station Mumbai Cst. Travel time - 8 hours. Ticket price is $10.

Trains to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi railway stations arrive at Vasco da Gama railway station, Thivim at north goa and Margao (Madgaon) in South Goa. From these stations, you can take a bus to your desired city or drive to the state capital, Panjim, and transfer to another bus.

A train ticket can be bought for different classes of carriages. Most sold - sleeping car sleepper, where there are a lot of Indians, and where I would not advise tourists to climb. If you decide to travel by train, tickets can be booked at Cleartrip.com. The names of train passengers must be checked on a special notice board before boarding the train, and then at the door of the car. I would not recommend girls to travel alone in India by train, since in India there are frequent cases of rape of tourists, and train cars are shared here, and you never know with whom you will sit not only on the next one - on a common shelf (due to lack of seats people are often sold the same sleeping place on trains).

Important! When moving long distances in India, make sure that at the box office you do not sell a ticket marked WL (Waiting list). This means that tickets for this train are sold out and you are put on a waiting list in case someone refuses their ticket. With such a ticket, there is a chance to leave, but you can also be left with nothing.

Bus to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi

• Buses from Mumbai to Goa depart very often. Travel time to Goa is 15-16 hours. Ticket price - $ 4.5 - 23. There are many places for passengers in Mumbai to board a bus to Goa (about 222 points of departure), all of them are listed on the website.
• There is no direct bus to Goa from Delhi. You will need to first fly to the city of Pune, and then take a direct bus to Goa. The cost of an air ticket from Delhi to Pune is $137 round-trip. The bus from Pune to Goa leaves from the railway station (Pune Railway station) or from the Swargate stop. Travel time to Goa is 10-15 hours. Ticket price - $ 5.3 - 18.

Buses in Goa come to the city of Mapsa (Mapusa) - the largest bus hub of the resort. Bus schedules and prices can be viewed on the Makemytrip website and book a bus ticket there. On the same site, it is very convenient to lay out travel routes around India by bus, train, plane in the Route Planner tab. If you do not buy a ticket online, you can buy it at ticket agencies (Travel agency) near the bus stations.

Plane to Goa from Mumbai and Delhi

It's best if you're flying into Big City India, get to Goa by plane. Air ticket Delhi - Goa will cost you from $ 148 in two directions; Mumbai - Goa - from $ 68 in two directions.

We figured out how to get to Goa, and now let's get acquainted with Goa airport and how to get from Goa airport to resort towns state.

Brief information about Goa Airport

There is only one airport in Goa, it is located in the city of Dabolim, thanks to which it got its name - Dabolim Airport. The nearest city to the airport is Vasco da Gama, located 5 km away. The capital of the state - Panaji - is located 30 km from the airport. The passenger turnover of the airport is more than 4.5 million passengers a year. The airport is actually located on the border of North and South Goa. For the convenience of your orientation, I enclose below a map of the state of Goa with the main attractions and hotels.

Previously, the Goa airport was a pitiful sight, and its reconstruction international terminal constantly moved away. However, since March 2014, a new modern terminal with three levels has been opened at the airport instead of the two old terminals. The new terminal serves both domestic and international flights. Despite the fact that sometimes chaos reigns at the airport, it used to be even worse, so we are happy with what we have.

This is what the old Dabolim airport terminal looked like.

And this is what the new modern terminal looks like.

Bus + train from Dabolim airport to the railway station in North and South Goa

There are 3 railway stations in the airport area: Vasco da Gama, Sankval and Dabolim. To get to these train stations, you need to take the local bus from the airport. Buses do not have numbers, and their route is indicated on a sign on the windshield. The ticket is bought directly from the driver. The fare is $0.15-0.23.

The largest of these stations is railroad station Vasco da Gama, located 5 km from the airport. From the railway stations you can get to the railway station Thivim in North Goa and Margaon in South Goa. Already there you will need to transfer to the bus to your city / beach. This is an extremely uncomfortable way to travel, as you already understood.

The distance from Dabolim airport to Margao is 26 km, from Dabolim airport to Thivim is 46 km.

I want to warn you right away that trains and buses in India are almost always just packed. Surely you have seen pictures on the Internet where people literally sit on top of each other on the train. Well, that's how it is in India. You can get on the train only if you buy a ticket in advance. You are unlikely to be able to buy a train ticket at the box office before departure. Trains in India are almost always late and hardly a reliable mode of transport. Therefore, I would not advise using them if time is running out and you need to be in time for your destination by a certain time.

Shuttle bus from Goa airport to resorts

This option is available to you if you stay in Goa at one of the hotels that provide a free airport transfer. The following hotels provide this service: The Leela Goa (from $113 per night) in South Goa, Cidade de Goa (from $79 per night) in North Goa or Sandray Luxury Apartments and Villa (from $45 per night) in South Goa.

Taxi from Goa airport to resorts

I strongly recommend that you use a taxi service to quickly and comfortably get from Goa Airport to your destination in both North and South Goa: Karwar, Anjuna, Pondu, Mapusa, Betalbatim, Calangute, Candolim, Vagator, Panaji. A Russian taxi, which is available, will take you at a fixed price to almost anywhere in the state of Goa and to other cities in India if necessary.

Taxis are inexpensive and in my opinion a great alternative to the unstable Indian public transport. You don't have to tremble in the heat in a crowd of Indians in unsanitary conditions, or risk taking a bus in the evening or at night: the crime rate in India is very high. If you travel with a company, then a taxi ride will cost you even cheaper.

If you take a taxi to the locals, you will be ready to bargain, because. their first reaction to a foreigner is to overprice the trip by several times.

Plan your trip in advance and save up to 40%!

Goa is a very popular place among tourists from the CIS countries. You can understand this, since this resort has great amount benefits. This is one of the smallest Indian states. By itself, it is a complete coastline washed by the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Arriving here, tourists get into real paradise, as if descended from postcards: palm trees, White sand, clear sea, exotic temples and resorts. At the same time, rest in India is very cheap, it is considered, perhaps, the most affordable in the world. The only thing that can darken Russian tourists is the presence of a visa.

Since Goa is not a separate island or state, but still a state of India, you need to draw up documents here. However, any traveler will tell you that this country willingly and without any bureaucratic delays gives visas for holidays, without requiring a huge package of papers. Therefore, getting the desired permission to visit the resort is not difficult. In order to get to this state, you need to make a flight from Russia. Naturally, when you travel for the first time, questions arise, which airport of arrival in GOA will you visit and what do you need to know about it in general?

If you have a question, which airport do planes fly to in GOA, then just remember the name - Dabolim. It makes no sense to fly to India to another state and from there already get to the resort. After all, we are talking about a modern air harbor. It is located four kilometers from the small town of Vasco da Gama. It is about 30 kilometers to get to a large administrative center.

The statistics that relate to this airport are as follows:

• Dabolim receives 700 foreign aircraft per year;
• most of the flights are charter;
• a third of them are Russian companies and aircraft;
• at the same time, quite a few flights also follow from other states, and tourists also arrive on them, who for some reason could not fly on a direct route;
• 200 thousand foreigners fly to the airport every year, which is an impressive figure for such a small institution.

It is noteworthy that the number of tourists is about 10% of all foreigners who come to India. Most often, this resort is chosen by Russians, other residents of the CIS countries, as well as the British.

A bit of history

The airport began to be built in 1950. Under these needs, lands were allocated from the village of Dabolim. The airport still bears its name, not intending to change it. In the 60s, India gained independence, and by force conquered the lands that belonged to other colonies. For example, Portugal, under whose jurisdiction the airport was. In 1961, it was even bombed by the country's Air Force troops. In 1962, Dabolim became the property of the Indian authorities, in a dilapidated state.

At first, the air harbor was exclusively a military platform for the needs of military aviation. But times, of course, changed, the country came to a normal life, tourists flew into it, paying special attention to Goa. In 1996 it was already a resort, and there was no point in delaying the expansion of the airport any longer. Regular civil aviation flights began this year. Further, Dabolim was only modernized, gradually replenished with modern aircraft.

Dabolim airport

Passenger service and service

Most often, planes arrive at the airport at night or early in the morning. This is due to time zones and their change. You need to mentally prepare for this, since it is unlikely that you will be able to sleep on board, as practice shows. Consider also such nuances:

1. Before boarding, you will be given special cards. They must be filled out with passport information, visa, and other similar data, which mainly relate to the place and time of residence in the country.
2. It is necessary to think about housing in advance, since the column cannot be missed.
3. Upon arrival, you enter the building or you are brought here by special buses, go through customs and passport control.
4. Passengers who fly within the country and those who arrive from other countries are processed at different terminals.

Check-in on arrival takes about 20 minutes, and by the way, it also takes place after departure.

What you need to know about Dabolim Airport?

After you check in, you go to baggage claim. You need to understand that this site is quite small, and a queue often forms here. Finding luggage is hard. This is used by local employees who, for a nominal fee, will find and hand over your luggage without waiting in line. Here already decide for yourself whether to pay or not, one way or another, your suitcase will appear on the tape.

Another trick very common in Goa is the porter to the taxi. Such people build their phrases to create an ambiguous impression that they are offering a taxi. Having received consent, they follow to taxi drivers at the airport, who often also participate in the system and then take you to the right place at an increased rate. But having reached the car, the porter demands money for his services.

You can use the currency exchange office right at the airport. In India, rupees are very common, and in some places they will not take dollars or cards from you, so it is better to have a supply of national cash with you. There is also a place where you can go to the local telephone connection. It is immediately available for purchase new card. To do this, provide the seller:

• 2 photos;
• a copy of the visa;
• photocopy of passport.

The disadvantages of Dabolim include the lack of Wi-Fi, paid luggage storage.