Amid coronavirus scare, Goa sees 12 times more flight movement

Panaji, Aug 18: With the novel coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc in the country, it looks like the pandemic has not hindered tourists from travelling to Goa as the coastal state has witnessed an increase of 12 times in flight movement last month as compared to April earlier this year.

Taking to Twitter, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) posted a tweet with a chart showing 27 flight movements at the Goa airport in April this year, followed by 59 in May, 265 in June and 318 in July.

"AAI's Goa Airport @aaigoaairport saw steady rise in flight movement since Apr'20. From 27 flights in Apr to nearly 12 times that no. in Jul these are signs of normalcy returning. In the wake of #COVID19, we aim to bring Indian Civil Aviation back to normal, as soon as possible," AAI said in the tweet.

The Goa airport shared the AAI's post on Twitter and captioned it, "Team Goa striving hard to reach the pinnacle."

The authorities in Goa are seeing the increase flight movement as a sign of normalcy returning at the Goa airport, which is located at the INS Hansa base in Vasco town Dabolim.

Recently, Goa minister and BJP MLA Michael Lobo stressed that rave parties have been happening in private villas in the coastal belt of the state even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are guest houses, resorts which are shut for the general public but rave parties are organised there in the name of a birthday bash or some other functions during the pandemic," he said, adding that drugs are consumed at such parties.

The BJP MLA's comment came in the wake of a raid conducted at Vagator on August 15 night. The minister assured that the state government would crack the whip to curb the menace of rave parties in Goa.