Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has secured major movement on state aviation projects following talks in New Delhi with Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu. Work on the Umroi Airport runway expansion begins in a few weeks. The state has already transferred 22 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India, obtained environmental clearance, and awarded the expansion contract.
Sangma requested final execution-level approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The project aims to accommodate Airbus A320 operations to provide direct flights and cut reliance on Guwahati Airport. The state is footing a Rs 150 crore bill to relocate Umden Mission Village to clear flight-path obstacles. "The tender has been completed, the work has been allotted, and we expect that within a few weeks, the actual physical work for the extension of the runway will start," Sangma said.
The Centre also cleared over Rs 60 crore to upgrade Baljek Airport in Tura. The state government offered to deposit Rs 63.67 crore upfront for the Airports Authority of India to take over the site on an as-is-where-is basis. Development will happen in phases, starting with 19-seater Dornier aircraft before moving to ATR-72 and eventually A320 models. The Chief Minister requested the project fall under the RCS-UDAN scheme with state reimbursement.
Additional infrastructure plans include new heliports and a water aerodrome. Heliports in Shillong and Tura are already under construction. The state proposed nine more locations for heliports, with three receiving in-principle approval. Sangma also pushed for a water aerodrome at Umiam Lake following a successful seaplane demo in November 2024. He urged the ministry to conduct feasibility studies and add the site to the five water aerodromes currently marked for national development. The Union Civil Aviation Minister plans to visit Meghalaya after August 15 to review project progress.
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