ILS not feasible, says AAI preliminary report
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In what could be a major dampener to the proposed upgradation of the Shillong Airport at Umroi, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has stated in a preliminary report that installation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) is not feasible at the airport since there a large hillocks and tall trees present near the airport.
The ILS was to be installed at the airport to provide better visibility to pilots and to facilitate safe landing of bigger aircraft.
Concerned with the preliminary report, the State Government has moved the AAI to suggest solutions to the problem which may prove to be the biggest stumbling block in the upgradation of the airport.
A Government source stated that if AAI stands firm on its report, then the State Government may order for chopping down some of the trees and leveling of the hillocks to facilitate setting up the ILS since there is a concern that major airline companies would not be keen to operate large aircraft from Shillong airport in the absence of a proper Instrument Landing System.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the AAI at the Shillong Airport on Wednesday wrote to the management of several private players like Spice Jet, King Fisher and Indigo to operate daily flights from Shillong to New Delhi and Kolkata.
It may be mentioned that there is a growing demand for a New Delhi-Shillong flight keeping in mind the number of passengers who fly from Shillong to the national capital on a daily basis.
