Mopa airport could create many jobs in Goa: Suresh Prabhu

India is going to be the largest aviation market in the near future with its current pace of growth and this would create job opportunities, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said today.

He was in Goa to review the progress of the work on the greenfield international airport in Mopa in north Goa being constructed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed by GMR Airports Limited.

The first phase of the airport is expected to be completed by 2020, officials said.

"The Indian aviation sector is growing exponentially.

Last month, we grew at 20 per cent. If the same trend continues, we will be the largest aviation market in the world and this would create the kind of job opportunities one cannot imagine," Prabhu told reporters.

Talking about the greenfield international airport at Mopa, Prabhu said that by 2025, around 30 million tourists would be coming to Goa because of this airport.

"Tourists coming in would mean creation of many jobs in the state. Mopa airport has the potential to be an international aviation hub in south India because the entire west coast of India is serviced from here," Prabhu said.

He informed that 234 acres of land allotted for commercial exploitation around the airport should be developed into an entertainment zone.

"More international flights will mean more profits, more income, more tourists and more employment. It is a win-win situation," he claimed.