Expansion of Shillong Airport
SHILLONG, May 19: The state government is awaiting the report of the ongoing feasibility exercise to find out if the Shillong Airport at Umroi can be expanded or not. The report is likely to be submitted in three months.
Commissioner and Secretary of Transport Department, Sanjay Goyal said the survey has already started and they expect to get the report within three months.
The Shillong Airport currently caters to only ATR flights since some hillocks in the vicinity of the airport had thwarted any previous expansion plan.
A government report had stated that an expenditure of Rs 7,000 crore would be incurred to flatten the hillocks following which the government decided to conduct a detailed survey to find out if the airport can be expanded or not.
Goyal also informed that some firms have expressed interest in operating flights between Shillong and other major cities. The pre-bid discussions are under way, he said.
The government is looking to introduce daily flights from Shillong to cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
Currently flights are operating between Shillong and New Delhi, Kolkata, Dimapur, Aizawl, Guwahati, Dibrugarh etc.
Talking about the poor connectivity between the city and the airport, Goyal said the rates for taxi fares have been notified. Besides overcharging, the department has considered the factor that taxi drivers have to return empty from one side, he said.
The government is also looking to introduce buses from the city at designated time for the airport, he added.
