from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Mar 6: Union civil aviation minister Prafull Patel on Thursday March 6 assured state tourism minister Fransisco Alias Mickky Pacheco that much-demanded Goa-Dubai flight operations of Air India will be resumed at the earliest.

Pacheco, who is on his Delhi visit, had briefed the union minister on various representations made by the Goan community to resume the flight.

"Several representations have been made to me by the Goan community based in Dubai who have been depending on the weekly flight from Dubai to Goa run by Air India on every Wednesday of the week," Pacheco said.

The closure of this route has put not only the Goan community but also a lot of tourists to a great hardship.

The minister said that during an interactive session held by the tourism department's delegation led by Goa tourism development corporation chairman Shyam Satardekar, the issue was deliberated.

"Various stake holders in the tourism industry, Dubai press and others, emphasized the resumption of the flight which will ensure direct connectivity between Goa and Dubai," the minister said.

The minister during his meeting with Patel also requested that the frequency of the flight be increased to bi-weekly so that tourism also could get major boost in the state.