Baljek and Umroi airports have remained relics of what they could have been. Meghalaya is the only state which in spite of a fairly hospitable terrain could not come up with a functional airport. In the 1980’s Umroi airport had started becoming functional with the 18 seater Dornier aircraft but that stopped abruptly because those who flew the most did not patronise it. Many Government officials preferred to take the road to Guwahati airport because it was somehow more lucrative or because they did not want to take the hopping flight to Delhi via Guwahati or Kolkata. After that no efforts were made to revive this airport for several years. In the past three years much effort has gone into the revival of the Umroi airport but at every step of the way there have been roadblocks for completion of the project. First it was the landowners who would not part with their land. Now that the landowners have been appeased the instrument landing system is taking some time to come from the civil aviation ministry.
In the meantime the only air connectivity between Tura and Shillong or Shillong and Guwahati is the Pawan Hans helicopter. But this has been used more often by VIPs and passengers have been left high and dry at the eleventh hour. Recently, 7 passengers from Tura who were bound for Shillong were deplaned at Guwahati because the Chief Minister was coming from Delhi and wanted to board the chopper to Shillong. They were refunded Rs 200 of the Rs 1900 charged for the full fare from Tura to Shillong and were told to hit the road. A passenger wondered how they would manage had they not had money in their hands. This happens all the time when the Governor decides to take the chopper to Guwahati which is very often. This has disappointed the passengers who now find that their bookings are cancelled at the last moment resulting in their missing the flight from Guwahati onwards.
This makes a case for Meghalaya to acquire a separate chopper for VIP/VVIP travel and leave one for ordinary passengers. It’s the least that Government can do pending the completion of the airport at Umroi.
