Meghalaya government greenlights Umroi Airport expansion

Guwahati: The Meghalaya government has granted in-principle approval to the Airports Authority of India's (AAI) master plan for expanding Umroi Airport.

This development was announced during a Meghalaya High Court hearing on a related Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

According to reports, the government acknowledged the AAI's requirements outlined in the master plan, as stated in a letter dated September 27, 2024.

The AAI's representative, Deputy Solicitor General Nitesh Mozika, expressed gratitude for the approval and requested eight weeks to prepare a proposal for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The High Court acknowledged this progress, noting it as the first concrete proposal for the airport's expansion, and scheduled the next hearing for October 24.

Previously, runway extension was deemed impractical due to the high cost (estimated at Rs 7,000 crore) associated with removing nearby hills.  

Finding an alternative site entirely proved equally expensive due to land acquisition and development needs.

Despite the expansion challenges, the state government had received interest from additional airline operators keen on connecting Shillong to more cities.