SHILLONG: Transport Minister HDR Lyngdoh on Wednesday informed that land meant for expansion of the Shillong Airport at Umroi has already been handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and it is their prerogative to start the expansion work.
“We have handed over the land to the AAI and now it depends on them as to when they want to start the construction work,” the Minister said.
Lyngdoh also informed that compensations have already been paid to the land owners who have parted with their  land for the Airport expansion project.
Reacting to a query about the Advance Landing System, Lyngdoh said that the ALS was already available and would be installed once other infrastructures are ready at the Airport.
With hurdles being cleared for the expansion work, the State is likely to get a major boost as far as communications is concerned. Going by the number of air passengers flying out from Guwahati, a full-fledged airport in Meghalaya connecting more cities would provide a major succour to the State’s tourism industry.