Dabolim Airport
Goa International Airport, more commonly known as Dabolim Airport, is an international airport located in the village of Dabolim in Goa, India. It is the only airport in the state and operates as a civil enclave in a military airbase named INS Hansa. It is 4 km from the nearest city Vasco da Gama, 23 km from the South Goa district headquarters Margao and 30 km from the capital city Panjim.HistoryThe airport was built by the government of the Estado da Índia Portuguesa in the 1950s on 249 acres (101 ha) of land. Until 1961 it served as the main hub for the local airline TAIP Transportes Aéreos da Índia Portuguesa, which on a regular schedule served Daman & Diu, Karachi, Mozambique, Timor and other destinations. In April 1962, it was occupied by the Indian Navy's air wing when Major General K.P. Candeth, who had led the successful military operation into Goa, "handed over" the airport to the Indian Navy before relinquishing charge as its military governor to a Lieutenant Governor of the then Union Territory of Goa in June.
