Editor,
Big kudos to the Shillong Umroi Airport AAI (Airport Authority of India) Team for development of the airport which stands testimony to their hard work and dedication. Now there’s also a big question of WHY the many issues relating to flights and airlines from Shillong Airport as a whole are still not answered.
I would like to pinpoint and also need some clarification both from the airlines operating from Shillong Umroi Airport and the Meghalaya Government as well, because the matter is compounding.
Firstly, the Kolkata sector taken by GoIndigo has seen a rise in passenger traffic and the prices for this sector are sky high and soaring, sometimes exceeding 15,000 INR per passenger per sector. Many friends and colleagues of mine have had to bear the brunt of this. If Indigo airlines can start a second Kolkata-Shillong-Kolkata flight I believe the matter would be resolved as time slots in the airport are still hugely available while inbound and outward flights are still less.
Also, requesting GoIndigo to start a Shillong-Bagdogra flight for ease of connectivity to improve tourism passenger movements etc. Secondly, the Imphal -Shillong- Imphal sector should have more frequencies in a week, it should be made from three to at least five times a week as this route is also very feasible. I am speaking as a very frequent traveller from our airport not just a common man.
Thirdly, Flybig which was awarded the Shillong-Delhi route under RCS is defaulting big time. I feel that the Meghalaya Government should make new arrangements with other big aviation giants like SpiceJet or other big airliners under RCS to enable easier connectivity to the national capital. Flybig has to lease Spicejet’s aircraft every time and on contacting their customer care services it is very frustrating and often a harassment to us passengers! Their constant reply of ‘no information received’ has hit me hard every-time I try to contact them.
The DGCA and Ministry of Civil Aviation as well as the Transport Department of the State should have given SpiceJet for this route. I sincerely hope and wish that this would materialise sometime soon.
Last but not the least, it’s funny to say that everything has been done by the AAI Shillong to provide the most comfort for air passengers. The question for landing of bigger aircraft like the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 is a big no no. Why?
To cite an example, Paro International Airport, Bhutan, one of the most dangerous airports in the world is surrounded by mountains on all sides of the airport yet bigger aircrafts are landing and taking off smoothly. Of course the pilots have to manoeuvre and take a sharp turn to align with the runway for landing.
If such is the case, why are bigger aircrafts not able to land at Umroi airport? Should pilots not be trained in a such way that they can easily take off and land at Umroi airport and if our runway needs more strength and robustness, that can and should be done. Where there’s a will there’s a way mind you!
And lastly, coming to the landing of small commuter chartered flights a friend of mine who booked a chartered flight from South India – a non-stop flight to Shillong Umroi airport actually amazed me. If such a small aircraft can fly non- stop why not implement bombardier CRJs to connect with metros like Bengaluru and Chennai for ease of students and also for medical tourism alike.
One thing that really disturbed me is the taxi fare from Umroi to Shillong which is Rs 1500. That is equivalent to the price of an air ticket from Shillong to Guwahati. In fact, the price of the Shillong-Dimapur ticket is only Rs 1300. I urge the authorities to check on this huge fare demand and put a tariff check on the same. It’s a harassment for us passengers!
All the above questions need to be answered, and as we can see today the movement of passengers from Umroi airport have been growing. Let us not forget that there was once only GoIndigo with one flight a day. But look at the airport today! It gets busier every day! Hence I urge the people sitting in big chairs to please take initiatives and try to solve our problems to ease our travel to and from our lone airport! For a better tomorrow, wishing our airport the very best in and kudos to the airport station manager and director as well.
Yours etc.,
Dr Chanmiki Ezra Laloo,
Via Email
Political party members hip in Meghalaya
Editor,
The special article “Teaching or Politics” by TFL Mawlong (ST Dec 17, 2021) is an excellent analysis on the subject. The special article is a wakeup call to those aspiring for power, influence and money. I am in sync with his thinking and statement that people “need a political party that listens to all voices, not just its members’ voices”. In fact, we do not know the percentage of members of a political party to the total number of the electorate as no such study has been done so far in Meghalaya or for that matter in India. This reminds me of what the great political veteran of Meghalaya, late Mr Brington Buhai Lyngdoh, Chief Minister, Meghalaya told me at the end of the North Eastern Council Meeting at Chumukidema, Nagaland in 1998 that runs in Khasi as follows “U Paidbah um juh iasoh party tangba U shongshit election. Balei u shongshit election? Namar ba ka dei ka election” (The electorate does not join a political party but is excited about the election. Why are they excited? Because it is an election!)
Yours etc.,
V.K.Lyngdoh,
Via email
Traffic snarls: Is anyone thinking of a solution?
Editor,
Venturing out of the house to work, school, college or shopping has become a literal nightmare. The massive traffic jam and chaos has left all of us commuters baffled. Earlier one would blame the many trucks which plied through the roads of Shillong city as the cause for the traffic jams. But now that’s not the case, so why is it that this massive choc a bloc situation persists?
For those people who travel from the villages to Shillong it’s a real struggle as they waste a whole day’s work and wages because of the traffic snarls. We’ve seen women with babies on their backs, school and college students, office goers having to walk their feet off literally, just to get to their destination. To add insult to injury we have our VVIP’s going through with their sirens blaring while we mere mortals stew in the traffic.
Why can’t they too experience what the public do so on a daily basis? After all they’re the people’s representatives right? Moreover, the traffic personnel are overworked and one can’t really blame them for giving up in such situations.
This debate has been going on for too long. Solutions have to come about. We’re already embarking on to the 50th year of our statehood. Let’s just get the basics done properly. Be it infrastructure, healthcare, education and most importantly looking after the well-being of our citizens in every way is what would make this milestone worth looking forward to.
Yours etc.,
Angela Lyngdoh,
Shillong- 3