Season’s first Condor flight arrives

The president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, Mr Ralph de Souza has said that this year (2006) has been a year of reckoning for the tourism industry of Goa, as a new beginning has been made with the arrival of scheduled international flights to the state.

Addressing a press conference at Panaji this afternoon to announce the arrival of first scheduled flight of Condor from Frankfurt (Germany), Mr de Souza, who also heads the tourism committee of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that this would give freedom to choose their travel and accommodation. He also said that besides three international airlines (Condor, SriLankan Airlines and Transair), Emirates have also been granted landing and take off slots on Fridays. He also said that some more scheduled airlines would also come to the state in the future. “It was Condor which brought foreign tourists to Goa directly in 1984 and put it on international map, when its first charter flight landed here,” said the TTAG chief.

Mr de Souza, while replying to a question on terror threat, said that there was no real threat and that the steps that have been suggested by the authorities to be taken by hoteliers and others were precautionary in nature. He said that there was no definite indication of any threat to Goa and that similar action was taken two years ago and there was nothing to worry about it. He also said that the steps were to sensitise hotel staff to be on alert in case of an eventuality and report any unusual activity or objects they come across.

Condor would operate two flights per week to Goa, one each from Frankfurt on Thursdays and other one from Munich on Sundays, as against five slots allotted to it, said Mr Joao Xavier Miranda, representative of Condor in Goa. He said Condor has also got two slots allotted at Kochi airport but was not operating there as of now. He said that though the Condor flights were still bringing charter tourists a percentage of its tickets were available for free sales.He also said that 238 tourists arrived by the first flight today. The Condor flights offer connectivity to major airports in Europe and rest of western world with German flag carrier Lufthansa, he added.

Highlighting the efforts of the GCCI in pursuing the matter relating to grant of permission to Condor by the ministry of civil aviation ministry to operate schedule flights to and from Goa, the airline representative said that the direct flights would help travellers save considerable time. The honorary consul of Germany, Ms Cecilia Menezes, said that the starting of scheduled flights would help the age-old friendship between India (particularly with Goa) and Germany flourish more and more. She said that air traffic between the three destinations was expected to grow further boosting the markets and industrial and economic growth.

visit us @ http://www.silkrouteholidays.com