Meghalayas tourism to get a lift as Shillong airport will accommodate wide-bodied plane

Giving a lift to Meghalaya’s general connectivity and particularly to its tourism sector, Shillong’s sole airport at Umroi may have its runway prolonged to accommodate wide-bodied plane by the final quarter of the 2026–27 monetary yr.

During a round-table with choose media personnel in Shillong final month, held in reference to World Tourism Day celebrations, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Ok. Sangma mentioned that work price over ₹500 crore, together with a 550-metre runway extension and terminal upgrades, will start in October and is anticipated to be accomplished inside 15 months.

The home airport at Umroi, positioned roughly 30 km from Shillong, presently affords direct connectivity to a couple choose cities: Kolkata, Aizawl, Imphal, and Delhi. Other air travellers heading to Meghalaya should disembark at Guwahati International Airport and undertake a three-hour highway journey to succeed in Shillong.

“There was a report by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) 15 years in the past. It acknowledged that even when the runway had been expanded, bigger plane would nonetheless be unable to land because of the huge mountains in entrance. Chopping off these mountains would have value ₹7,000 crore. Clearly, it wasn’t a viable choice,” mentioned Mr. Sangma.

Given that the AAI report was dated and expertise had considerably superior, the Meghalaya authorities commissioned a recent examine just a few years in the past, involving each impartial companies and the AAI. It was a threat to spend money on the examine, however it proved worthwhile.

“The new report confirmed that extending the runway was now possible. We obtained clearance about two years in the past. Following consultations with the Union Government and AAI, we got the go-ahead, and the Union Government subsequently sanctioned the funds. However, as anticipated, some hurdles emerged,” Mr. Sangma mentioned.

“The runway extension required land acquisition, together with a small patch owned by the Army. We needed to negotiate with them, and finally, we succeeded in bringing all stakeholders on board and buying the land parcel. The land has been handed over to the AAI. The building has been tendered, and the work is anticipated to be allotted shortly.”

“I anticipate flights to begin touchdown by the final quarter of 2026–27. Several home airways have carried out surveys and expressed willingness to function providers as soon as the runway is prolonged. It shall be a game-changer for the tourism sector, and we’re getting ready for that second to accommodate the vacationer influx,” mentioned Mr. Sangma.

(This author was in Meghalaya on the invitation of Meghalaya Tourism)