By Kavita Mistry 
The first chartered flight of Goa’s 2025-26 tourism season has arrived at Dabolim airport, with minister Rohan Kaunte on Monday claiming it signifies the state’s “growing international connectivity and appeal as a global destination”.
The SCAT Airlines flight from Almaty in Kazakhstan arrived at Dabolim airport on October 25 at 5:30am.
“The arrival of the first charter flight from Kazakhstan signifies Goa’s growing international connectivity and appeal as a global destination. We are committed to strengthening such partnerships and expanding our charter network to diversify source markets while ensuring a sustainable and regenerative approach to tourism,” state tourism minister Kaunte said.
“Each new charter flight reinforces Goa’s position as a preferred leisure destination. We appreciate the continued efforts of our travel partners and stakeholders in promoting Goa and ensuring smooth operations at both Dabolim and Mopa airports,” added state Director of Tourism Kedar Naik.
To celebrate the inaugural arrival, a warm and festive welcome was organised by the state Department of Tourism in association with Concord Exotic Voyages and Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), an official said.
The arriving guests were greeted with a brass band performance, garlands, and floral welcomes, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the commencement of the charter season, he added.
The inaugural flight marks the beginning of a promising season ahead, with several charter operations expected from other international destinations in the coming weeks, the official said.
