SHILLONG: Development activities at the Shillong Airport in Umroi have resumed after a long lull with necessary infrastructure coming up in the airport to make it fully functional.
A visit to the airport reveals that the construction of the boundary wall and the new air traffic control tower has started.
Speaking on the matter, airport director Manoj Kumar Naik said there were around 13-14 gaps along the boundary wall and three-four walls have been closed down as of now.
In addition, two refueling facilities are also coming up at the airport, of which, one belongs to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), while the other to the Indian Oil Corporation.
The construction work for the BPCL refuelling facility has started and will be completed by September 25 whereas IOC is expected to start work soon.
Reacting to a query on the installation of Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Shillong Airport, Naik said the installation of ILS alone would not serve the purpose and that it needed to be operated.
He said before installing ILS, several obstructions in terms of hills, tree and power lines in and around the airport have to be removed. “The survey of obstacles is over and now the teams from the state government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have to remove the obstacles,” Naik said.
The airport director also urged the state government to expedite the whole process of removing obstacles even as he added that it should be continuous.
An instrument landing system (ILS) enables aircraft to land if the pilots are unable to establish visual contact with the runway. It does this by way of transmitted radio signals.
“Once the obstacles are removed, the runway expansion will start simultaneously and there are no issues with funding,” Naik said.
He further informed that shifting of the Umroi market was important and that a new model market would come up at a distance of two-three kilometers from the airport.
Naik said the airport was in the need of a doctor for its medical inspection room and though a request was made to the government few months back, so far none has been placed in the airport.
He also informed that Air Deccan would start its services from Shillong Airport from October under UDAN, a regional air connectivity scheme of the Union Government.
“Air Deccan had asked for space in the airport and it would be given to them,” he said.
Under the UDAN or Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik scheme, the airport will be connected with Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, Imphal and Silchar.
