Panaji, Jan 25 (IANS): The upcoming Mopa greenfield airport in Goa is expected to be commissioned by August 2022, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said on Monday.

"I am happy to say that the construction work of Mopa Airport Project is in full swing and it is expected to be completed and commissioned in August 2022," Koshyari said in his inaugural address to the state legislative assembly on the first day of the winter session.

"The (Union) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved Expressway connectivity to Mopa airport connecting it to National Highway-66," Koshyari also said.

The first phase of the airport, located atop the Mopa plateau in North Goa, was scheduled to be commissioned by September 3, 2020, but was delayed due to environmental litigations in the Supreme Court filed by activists, who had alleged illegal felling of trees at the airport site.

The airport is being constructed via a joint venture between GMR Airports and the Goa government.

In its first phase the airport is expected to cater to 4.5 million passengers and at the end of fourth phase its passenger handling capacity is expected to be 13 million.