Mumbai06 Dec 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Goa
About Goa
Located on the West coast of India is the quaint beachy paradise, also known as Goa. The state of Goa is hardly 3,700 sq. km, with a small population that is known to be one of the biggest tourist destinations in India. The state has a heavy Portuguese influence and culture as it is a former colony. Thanks to their Portugal-influenced, the culture and outlook of Goa are visibly diverse from the other parts of India. Goa sees a regular throng of tourists as Indian and international travellers constantly flock over to the tropical state. The domestic and international routes are well-connected, making travelling by flight to Goa, an easy task.
Best time to visit Goa
The best season to visit Goa is undeniably winter! The winters in Goa call for a celebration as the temperatures drop to offer a pleasant atmosphere. The months starting from October to February are peak season where Goa sees an abundance of travellers. The flight tickets to Goa during this season is also quite expensive as the demand is high. However, with various music festivals, Christmas and the spirit of New Year's taking over, Goa easily becomes one of the best places in winters.
The monsoon season that stretches between June to September is ideal for nature enthusiasts. While many assume Goa's beaches to be its identity, the green expanses of the Western Ghats that passes through Goa get some love from nature enthusiasts. The state's hues change from sparkling blue to emerald green, and it is worth exploring.
The summers are considered to be bad as the tropical region faces sweltering temperatures. Often the mercury spikes up to 40 degree Celsius, making it unbearably hot. The flight tickets to Goa are cheap during this season for obvious reasons. If you can handle the heat, then you can make use of good flight deals and book flight tickets to Goa.
Places to visit in Goa
Museums and art galleries
The state might be known for its tourism, but they also indulge in arts and culture. There are many art galleries around the Old Goa region. The state's Portugal roots can further be explored by visiting the Goa State Museum. You should also visit the Museum for technology and Art, which goes by the name Sensistan. Benaulim's Houses of Goa, Goa Chitra Museum and many other religious art museums have intriguing stories that should be explored.
Beaches
Goa's highlight is the beaches, the cuisine and the nightlife. The pristine blue waters by the coasts sparkle under the sun and attract people from all over the world. The most famous and best beaches in Goa include Palolem, Vagator, Chapora, Anjuna, Arambol, Morjim, Colva, Candolim, Mandrem, Butterfly, Agonda, Calangute, etc. The best thing to in Goa to travel within would be to rent a vehicle and beach hop as every beach caters to a certain kind of audience. Depending on your vibe, you might enjoy a certain stretch of beach. The beautiful beaches are definitely worth it.
Churches
The famed Bom Jesus Basilica with the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier is a legendary church. Built in 1605, the church's distinctive architecture using wood, gold, stone and granite gives it a vintage vibe. Not to mention how you will get to witness the miraculous undecomposed body of Francis Xavier, whose body is preserved by the church officials. Other notable churches include the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Church of St Catejan, Se Cathedral and Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Things to do in Goa
Water sports
Goa has copious amounts of water sports activities that would keep you indulged all-day. Right from learning how to surf to snorkelling to kayaking in the wide sea, there are various water sports that you can take up. Specific beaches host scuba diving and snorkelling activities while some are known for their parasailing, banana boat ride, ferry tours and other such activities. Depending on which part of the state you're in, you'll get to experience the said kind of water sport.
Beach hopping
The beaches of Goa can either by calm and quaint or loud and noisy. Depending on which neighbourhood you choose, you'll find your own sweet nirvana. The North beaches are more commercial with Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Anjuna, Vagator and more, experiencing excessive crowd. The South beaches are quaint and quiet with luxury settings and fewer crowds. If you wish to indulge in water sports and other such activities, then you should head to North where they happen in abundance. If taking strolls at the beach or going for a swim is what you wish to do then the South beaches are it for you. You can rent bikes or cars and go on a beach-hopping spree.
Ocean treks
To reach some beaches in Goa, you will have to trek the trails. The Butterfly Beach in South Goa is one such beach where you need to trek up the stony trails to reach the exquisite and quaint beach. It is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in the state. Parts of Cabo de Rama beach also expects you to do some trekking, which only adds to the fun of diving in the sea. North Goa's Arambol beach is also famous for ocean treks.
Quad Biking
If you wish to take a day's break from the beaches and the water, you can head to the adventure side of Goa where you'll find quad bike tours. Basically, you can do dirt bike riding on muddy terrains created. You don't need to be an expert to indulge in this activity as it doesn't require any levels of riders.
Casino and cruises
Goa's nightlife is just as lit as the beaches it offers. While there are regulated parties that take place on the beaches and even some nightclubs, there are dedicated cruises and casino parlours too. Try some play of dice at one of these casinos or hit the party scenes to experience the nightlife of Goa.
Food and Restaurants in Goa
As a coastal state, Goa's staple food involves fish curry and rice. The place serves the most exquisite seafood that one can ask for. The beach shacks have Continental, Seafood and Indian food cuisines as options. A majority of the tourists usually choose seafood over everything else. For the best ambience and piquant seafood, you should visit Curly's in North Goa and Fisherman's Wharf in South Goa. Other places with great seafood are The Lazy Goose, Amavi, Starlight, Ritz Classic, Gunpowder, etc.
While seafood is a staple, the iconic Goan dishes are actually made from pork. Acquaint yourself with names such as Vindaloo, Xacuti, Chorizo and Sorpotel as these Goan dishes are a big hit. From street food to lavish restaurant dining, you'll meet with all kinds of experiences in Goa, and they will all be memorable. The beach shacks also have Goan dishes in their menu so you can always mix up the platter. If seafood is a little too much for you to deal with, then an Italian rendezvous at Da Tita might go down well with you.
How to reach Goa
By Air
Goa's Dabolim Airport, located in Vasco da Gama, is the only airport in the State. Due to the popularity of the state, and the fact that it is the most sought-after destination for Indians, as well as international tourists, the flight connectivity to and from Goa, is incredible. Direct flight to Goa is available from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and more. International flights from Goa are also available as some direct planes are flying to Kuwait, UAE, Doha, etc. Although no direct flights are connecting Goa to Western Europe, USA, Russia and the UK, great connectivity and layovers have enabled these international destinations to be connected to Goa.
Nonstop domestic airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, GoAir, Air Asia and Vistara are available. It would be ideal to book your hotels ahead of your trip as shuttle services to pick you up from Goa airport would be convenient. On off-seasons, the flight tickets are cheap and affordable. However, if you wish to travel during their peak season, it is best to book flight tickets in advance for great flight deals online.
By Rail
There are two main railway stations namely, Madgaon Junction and Thivim, which connect other cities to South and North Goa respectively. Direct trains following domestic routes to Goa are also available from Mumbai, Delhi, Mangalore, Kochi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, to name a few.
By Road
A majority of crowd from the Mumbai and Pune region often use the road as a means to reach Goa. There are overnight buses that travel from Mumbai to Goa, which makes travelling convenient. Various public and private bus service providers have sleeper and Volvo seater buses going to Goa. You can either get down at Mapusa Bus Stand for North Goa or Panjim Bus Stand and Madgaon Bus Stand if you're opting for the South beaches. The State-serviced Kadamba Transport is also available and connects to various neighbouring states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra.
About Air Arabia
Air Arabia is a low-cost Emirati airline that operates in the United Arab Emirates. The airline has its head office in the A1 Building Sharjah Freight Centre, in Sharjah International Airport. It caters to a plethora of destinations, 151 to be precise, which are spread across North Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The airline's main hub is at Sharjah International Airport while its focus cities are Casablanca and Alexandria. Air Arabia is also a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. The airline came into existence in 2003 and was founded by an Amiri Decree, which was issued by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the reigning ruler of Sharjah. He is also a member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia commenced as a low-cost carrier and became the first one to be established in the Middle East. Operations of Air Arabia were also kickstarted the same year as its first flight flew from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Bahrain International Airport. Within its first year of operations, the airline managed to rake in revenue and became a profitable venture for the state. Eventually, by 2007, the airline was listed on the stock market and was opened for an initial public offering. Fifty-five per cent of its stocks were launched as the initial offering in 2007.
It was listed at the Dubai Financial Market and was traded under the ticker symbol (DFM: AIRARABIA). Currently, the airline is a holding company which has assets worth up to AED 10 billion. As soon as the airline commenced operations, it started making profits which helped the investors realise its profitability. In recent times, Air Arabia holds various subsidiary airlines and enterprises that cater to the travel and tourism industry with services prevalent across the Middle East and North African destinations. The airline's board of directors have seven members in total. Out of this, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani is the chairman of the board. At the same time, Adel Abdulla Ali is the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Director of Air Arabia.
Meanwhile, Dr Ghanem Mohammed Al Hajri, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani, Sheikh Khalid Bin Issam Al Qassimi, Mr Waleed Al Sayegh and Mr Matar Al Blooshi are independent members of the board. The board of directors keeps track of the operations of Air Arabia along with prospects of newer destinations and fleet. The airline also keeps a close eye on the board's actions and has discouraged the trading of shares of Air Arabia, within the board members. With its headquarters in Sharjah, the airline's office is about 15 km away from central Dubai.
Intending to enhance better connectivity, Air Arabia formed joint ventures with bases in four international cities. Details of the same are mentioned below -
Egypt - Air Arabia formed Air Arabia Egypt in the year 2010 and is still operational. The airline announced its joint venture with an Egyptian travel and tourism agency Travco Group. With the consortium formed, the airline was formed with its base at Alexandria in Egypt. The airline also received its operating license the same year, and the first commercial flight kicked off. The airline's Egypt fleet consists of three aircraft out of which two are scheduled to carry passenger services while one of them carries charter traffic from Europe to the Red Sea.
Jordan - In 2015, Air Arabia stated that it planned to acquire 49 per cent of stake in Petra Airlines. The remaining 51 per cent of shares in Petra Airlines was held by RUM Group. However, the consortium brought forth a rebranding which led to Petra Airlines changing to Air Arabia Jordan in 2015. The airline initially operated with two Airbus A320 aircraft. Right after commencing operations in 2015, the new airline also announced that they planned to launch new destinations to be operated from Jordan. These included Kuwait, Erbil, Jeddah and Sharm El Sheikh. The airline ceased to exist in 2018.
Morocco - Air Arabia Maroc came into existence as a joint venture between Air Arabia and a few Moroccan investors. They set up a secondary base in Morocco's Casablanca and commenced operations by 2009. They have since expanded operations across the African and European continent.
Nepal - With Fly Yeti, air Arabia did start flight operations in Nepal with its base in the country's capital Kathmandu. The airline catered to the Asian and Middle Eastern market. The joint venture was signed, and the low-cost carrier was formed. However, with tumultuous political situations and economic concerns, the operations of FlyYeti was suspended within a year.
Fleet size of Air Arabia
As of 2019, Air Arabia's fleet size stands at 55, which only consists of Airbus aircraft. The airline currently operates 52 Airbus A320-200s and three Airbus A321LRs. However, they have also placed a bulk order to acquire 73 Airbus A320neo, 20 Airbus A321neo and 23 Airbus A321XLR. The airline plans to extend its fleet size to 119. They are yet to receive their orders. The airline has been following the same livery design on all its aircraft from the fleet. The aircraft's body has been painted in three diverse colours such as white, red and grey. The tail of all the aircraft engine has the company logo of Sharjah painted in the form of a bird. Over completion of the airline's 15 years in the industry, in 2018, the airline introduced a new livery which is set to replace the original livery. The same will be incorporated gradually to the fleet. The new livery features a large red bird logo which is seen flying down from the tail to the rear fuselage. It has grey accents painted behind its wings, and a stylised AirArabia title is written in English on the front of the aircraft. The same is also written in Arabic, right under the title.
Baggage Allowance
The baggage allowance of Air Arabia can be modified when booking the flight ticket. The airline does not restrict its passengers to have a specific number of baggage pieces that they can carry. However, they do have specific weight constraints that the passenger needs to follow with their baggage. The airline allows 32 kg per piece of baggage. Additionally, the passenger can add 20 kg while paying the excess baggage tariffs. The baggage dimensions should be no more than 160 cm. It is necessary that passengers follow the dimension rule as it will help accommodate the baggage. The hand baggage allowance is also quite generous as the airline allows 10 kg with a dimension that shouldn't exceed a total of 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm.
In-flight services
Air Arabia might be one of the only low-cost carriers to have made a debut in the Middle Eastern soil, but their in-flight services are incomparable. The airline offers some of the best in-flight services that fall under the low-cost bracket. The airline's fleet brings about extremely cosy seats with a good reclining degree. Further, the airline also offers in-flight meals and entertainment decks that would further ensure that the passenger's journey is wholesome and happy.
Popular routes and top cities for Air Arabia
As of 2020, the airline caters to international routes that are predominantly in the Middle Eastern, North African, European and Indian subcontinents. Some of them are Kabul, Yerevan, Baku, Bahrain, Chittagong, Dhaka, Brussels, Sarajevo, Urumqi, Cairo, Luxor, Sohag, Asmara, Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Lyon, Frankfurt, Shiraz, Najaf, Dublin, Rome, Amman Almaty, Nairobi, Kuwait City, Beirut, Kuala Lumpur, Casablanca, Agadir, Muscat, Amsterdam, Kathmandu, Karachi, Lahore, Moscow, Abha, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Medina, Tabuk, Madrid, Colombo, Palma de Mallorca, Stockholm, Tunis, Trabzon, Odessa, Sharjah and London. The airline is yet to come up with operations and international routes to connect to the North and South American continents. They also lack extensive connectivity in Southeast Asian countries. Owing to the extensive demand for the Middle Eastern destinations from India, the airline has dedicated operations from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Kochi, Bangalore, Nagpur, Kozhikode, Goa and more.
Why travel by Air Arabia?
Some of the highlights of booking an Air Arabia flight is that it comes with some good benefits. As a low-cost carrier, the flight tickets are already cheap and affordable. Not to mention how the airline' standard of quality remains top-notch despite the low cost. Air Arabia's website has also been upgraded to ensure that the passengers are able to receive all updates regarding the flights and operations. Passengers can do web check-ins on their website and also get updates on the flight status.
Similarly, Air Arabia's flight schedule is also mentioned on their website with up to date details. Travellers can peruse through the portal and even learn more about their baggage allowance and in-flight services to check if it falls in lines with their requirements. The airline's excellent connectivity with various destinations in the domestic routes and international routes further makes it one of the best travel airlines to choose.
About Goa Airport
Dabolim Airport is the sole domestic and international airport in the state of Goa. Situated in Dabolim, about 4 km from Vasco da Gama and 23 km from the oldest city Margao and 30 km from the state capital, Panjim, the airport is perched up the Arabian Sea. The airport is a civil enclave (a joint-use airport) and is also operated by the Indian Navy's naval airbase, INS Hansa. Goa Airport witnesses a plethora of international passengers throughout the year, especially from the European continent and many from the United Kingdom as well. IN 2013, the airport inaugurated its integrated terminal to increase the passenger handling capacity. The airport recorded capacity of 7.6 million passengers in the fiscal year 2017-18.
Dabolim Airport witnesses many European-charter airlines with flights flying to and from the city on a seasonal basis. There are dedicated charter flights from the United Kingdom, operated by TUI Airways or popularly known as just TUI. These charter flights function from the UK as well as the Republic of Ireland. Along with flights from the UK, Dabolim Airport also witnesses seasonal charter flights from Russian cities. With a consistent increase in passenger traffic and air traffic congestion, a proposal to introduce a second airport in Mopa has been granted a green signal. Mopa Airport is set to complete construction by 2022 and will see flight operations soon.
About Goa Airport terminals
Currently, Dabolim Airport accommodates two terminals for domestic and international flight operations. Terminal 1 handles all flight activities for domestic airlines. Meanwhile, Terminal 2 takes care of international flight operations ranging from landing to take off. The domestic terminal covered an area of 21,527 square feet and was constructed in 1983 while the international terminal came into existence in 1996, covering an area of 10,763 square feet. However, with a tremendous increase in passenger congestion and air traffic, the airport constructed an integrated terminal building to cater to both domestic as well as international passengers. The same was opened in 2013 with extensive features.
The design and layout of the building are aesthetic which comprises of glass and large steel span structures along with frameless glazing. The integrated terminal sprawls across 36,000 square metres and has been designed to accommodate five million passengers in a year. The terminal is also equipped with eight aerobridges. Some of the outstanding features of the terminal include an in-line baggage scanning system, 75 check-in counters, 22 immigration counters for departures, 18 immigration counters for arrivals and a total of 14 security check counters. The check-in counters are located on the ground floor, while the first floor has security checks. Following the installation of the new integrated terminal building, the old ones have been closed.
About Airport Authority
Dabolim Airport is currently being operated under the Airports Authority of India. The government statutory body which falls under the Ministry of Aviation has worked tirelessly towards enhancing the structure of Goa Airport. Over the years, the airport has undergone several upgradations and modernisation. All the expansion projects have been undertaken by the Airports Authority of India. This includes funding and management decisions concerning the projects. Under the AAI, the airport renewed its terminal building into an integrated one that would cater to accommodating international and domestic activities. Some of their works also include installation of the multi-level car parking facility to enable parking of about 570 cars along with parking bays for aircraft. They have also asked for the Indian Navy and the State Government to help them acquire lands to expand the aprons and the older international terminal building space.
The airport is spread across 1,700 acres of land and also accommodates a civil enclave of 35 acres. On a daily basis, Dabolim Airport witnesses about 180 flights with a large concentration of passenger traffic between 1 PM to 9 PM on weekdays. The airport is supposed to function between the slated time slot during weekdays for civilian as it has some naval restrictions. The military requires flight training activities to continue during a specific time period and hence follows the specified rules throughout the year.
As the airport is jointly operated by the Indian Navy and the Airports Authority of India, the two parties entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2017, to construct a full-length parallel taxi track that would be suitable to accommodate aircraft like Boeing 747. Both parties will share the construction cost. For the expansion project, Dabolim Airport also received environmental clearance in 2018. The project has been divided into three phases and is set to be completed in a scheduled manner. The first phase of the airport was completed in 2019, which resulted in an increase in the runway's capacity from 15 air traffic activities in an hour to 18-20 air traffic movements per hour.
Facilities at the Goa Airport
Lounge – Goa Airport has a VIP lounge that only caters to travellers with specific access passes or ticket types.
WiFi – Dabolim Airport offers free WiFi services to everyone. There are no restrictions as such. The same good speed can be availed at the common lounge as well as VIP lounges too.
ATMs and currency exchange – As it is an international airport, provisions for currency exchanges and ATMs are also present at Dabolim Airport. You will receive decent exchange rates for the currency exchange. Further, you can also transfer money to your overseas accounts.
Baby care facilities – The airport has reserved special rooms for baby care. These rooms are well-lit and have all the necessary items to cater to a baby and a new mother's comfort. A cosy chair, as well as a changing table, is also available in the baby care room. Plus, the room is private and only allows mothers with babies to enter.
Restaurants – Some many restaurants and cafes are present in the premise of Dabolim Airport. These restaurants majorly have Goan cuisine. However, there are continental, and other global cuisines also present in the airport. As you wait for boarding, indulging in food could be a good way to kill time.
Medical services – The airport has a dedicated team of medical experts that clock in 24/7. Along with professionals, Dabolim Airport also has a room reserved for doctors to take the emergency cases to. These rooms are well-equipped with basic first aid kits and medical facilities. A paramedic is also present in the airport vicinity.
Spa - A dedicated spa service is available at both the terminals of Dabolim Airport. If there are any flight delays or you have enough time in hand, you can avail their excellent spa services.
Top airlines flying from Goa Airport
Many domestic airlines are operating from Goa Airport. These include AirAsia India, Air India, Alliance Air, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet, TruJet and Vistara. These airlines have flights connecting Dabolim Airport to major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mysore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Amritsar, Srinagar, Varanasi, Kochi, Lucknow, Nashik, Surat, Madurai, Hubli, Guwahati, Coimbatore and more. In terms of international flights that operate from Goa Airport, these include Air Arabia, Oman Air and Qatar Airways. They connect to cities such as Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait City and more. The airport also accommodates seasonal airlines such as TUI Airways, Air Ukraine and Thomas Cook Airlines during peak season as the demand for the state is quite high in terms of tourism.
How to reach Goa Airport
Reaching Goa Airport is quite convenient, even though it is in the outskirts of the city. Passengers can take buses, taxi cabs and trains as well to reach any part of the state.
By Bus and taxi cabs
With respect to buses, the city of Vasco da Gama is only 4 km away. Several public buses can be taken to reach Goa Airport. The closes stop to the airport is Chicalim bus stop, which is located about 1.5 km apart. Many public buses run by the state are connected to Vasco da Gama. From the city of Vasco da Gama, you can always take taxi services to reach Goa Airport. Provisions of local mini-buses are also available to the airport from Vasco da Gama and Chicalim. Similarly, taxi cab services are available within the city. The city of Goa has its mobile app to book prepaid taxis and vehicles to smooth the process of travelling within the state and reaching Dabolim Airport. The government is also working towards constructing a 6-lane expressway that would make connections to the airport easier from major cities in Goa. Similarly, a monorail system is also being proposed.
By Rail
Dabolim has a railway station going by the same name. It is the nearest station from Goa Airport. You can take the train service to reach Dabolim Airport from various parts of Goa such as Tivim in North Goa, Ponda and Margao in South Goa. The railway station is quite in proximity to the airport and is hence, considered to be one of the cheap and affordable options to reach Goa Airport.
