Court directs govt, Centre to expedite airport expansion

SHILLONG, April 30: The High Court of Meghalaya on Wednesday directed the state government and central authorities to expedite the long-pending expansion and development of the Shillong Airport so that it can accommodate larger aircraft.
During a hearing of a PIL, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh, expressed concern over continued operational limitations of the airport which can now handle only light aircraft such as ATRs, leading to frequent flight cancellations and disruptions due to weather conditions, thereby affecting public convenience, tourism and the state’s economy.
The court took on record detailed submissions made by the Advocate General on behalf of the state government, and the Deputy Solicitor General appearing for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The court said it appeared from these submissions that the contemplated airport would not be operational before two years or so from date, assuming that the progress of work is made at the rate estimated by the counsel, on instruction.
The court observed that the total land required for the expansion is approximately 22 acres—10.3 acres belonging to defence and 11.7 acres to private individuals. It was informed that defence authority has agreed to provide its portion of land to AAI on a leave and licence basis.
As for the privately-held land, the Advocate General submitted that the state government intends  to acquire it through purchase by private treaty, rather than resorting to compulsory acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which would be time-consuming and uncertain.
Accepting this approach as “most reasonable in the circumstances,” the court directed the state cabinet to consider approving the proposal for land acquisition by private treaty within three weeks of receiving the order and if approved, complete the acquisition of 11.7 acres of land within a further period of eight weeks.
Additionally, the court was informed by the Deputy Solicitor General that a tender worth approximately Rs 150 crore has been issued for construction work. Once an agreement is entered into, construction is expected to take around 18 months. However, the project is awaiting environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment. Furthermore, the DGCA is required to approve the proposal.
The court directed both the Ministry of Environment and the DGCA to “formulate, modify or approve” the necessary plans for the airport’s expansion without delay, emphasizing that there is “no scope whatsoever” for either authority to withhold or defer the required approvals at this stage.
The matter has been made returnable on May 15, 2025, for submission of a status report by the state and central authorities regarding actions taken pursuant to this order.