From sky-high to skyfall: Goa’s int’l flights take 62% nosedive

Panaji: The West Asia turmoil has completely hit air travel at Goa’s two commercial airports, with both the airports recording a significant contraction in international flights in April.

Total international aircraft movements plunged by 62% compared to the same month last year, falling from 287 movements in April 2025 to just 110 international flights this April.

The data, compiled by the Airport Authority of India for all states, includes Goa International Airport (Dabolim) and Manohar International Airport (Mopa).

The data shows that while the domestic sector remained broadly resilient, the near-collapse of international operations at Dabolim stands out as a cause for concern.

The most dramatic numbers come from Dabolim’s international operations. International aircraft movements at Goa International Airport collapsed by 98.2%, from 110 movements in April 2025 to a mere two flights this April. This near-total shutdown of international flights at Dabolim drove a corresponding 98.2% plunge in international passenger numbers, from 14,299 travellers a year ago to just 260 in April this year.

Manohar International Airport at Mopa fared comparatively better on the international front, though it too registered a sharp decline. International aircraft movements at Mopa fell 39%, from 177 in April 2025 to 108 this April. International passengers at Mopa dropped 39.6%, from 26,426 to 15,956.

In aggregate, Goa’s total international passenger count more than halved, from 40,725 in April, 2025 to 16,216 this April.

The domestic aviation segment presented a more stable, albeit divergent, picture for Goa’s two airports. Combined domestic aircraft movements declined by a marginal 1%, falling from 5,671 in last April to 5,590 this April.

However, this headline figure masks opposing trends at the two airports. Dabolim saw its domestic flight count decrease 10.7%, from 3,323 movements last April to 2,966 this April. In contrast, Mopa registered notable growth, with domestic flights increasing 11.8%, from 2,348 to 2,624, adding 276 additional flights year on year.

A similar pattern played out in domestic passenger numbers. Goa’s total domestic passenger count fell 3%, from 8.7 lakh in April 2025 to 8.45 lakh in April 2026. Dabolim’s domestic passengers declined 10.8%, from 5.2 lakh to 4.7 lakh, while Mopa grew 8.8%, adding 30,325 passengers to reach 3.7 lakh, up from 3.5 lakh a year earlier.

Total passengers dropped from 11.8 lakh in Jan to 8.6 lakh in April, according to civil aviation ministry data. The drop is likely due to the end of the peak winter tourism and international charter season, coupled with reduced domestic travel demand and the impact of ongoing geopolitical tensions on international travel sentiment, travel stakeholders said.

In Jan 2026, Goa recorded 11,82,316 passengers, including 86,491 international and 10.95 lakh domestic travellers. By April, the figure fell to 8.6 lakh passengers, comprising 16,216 international and 8.45 lakh domestic passengers. The data shows that Goa witnessed a decline of over 3.21 lakh passengers in just three months, with the steepest decline in international ones.

Goa’s international travellers reduced from 86,491 in Jan to 16,216 in April — a drop of over 81%.