TURA, May 6: Years after inauguration of the Baljek Airport at Jengjal near Tura, the state government on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to make the airport operational and start air services for the people of the region.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that the Regional Connectivity Scheme under UDAAN has been taken up with the Union Ministry of Aviation.
A 19-seater flight will be started under RCS from Shillong to Baljek for which the signing of the MoU is an important step, he said.
“With the signing of the MoU now, the responsibility of maintaining the airport and operating the flight services now vests with AAI,” he said.
Sangma said that the state requested AAI to take over the airport on an “as is where is” basis to initiate the necessary development and operational procedures. In response, AAI expressed willingness to take over the airport and requested acquisition of 125 acres for Phase-I (including the earlier 56.5 acres), with a future addition of 115 acres for Phase-II as part of the expansion project.
Stating that operationalisation of the airport would be a game-changer for the people as Jengjal will become an important place and centre for Garo Hills, the CM remembered his father, PA Sangma, who conceptualised the project and said that the airport is a valuable asset not only for the people of the area but for the state as a whole.
He sought the cooperation from the public in land acquisition process for the expansion of the airport as the vision of the government for the airport is not only for immediate operation of flights but also for the future.
“We need to lay foundation on basis of the vision for the next thirty to fifty years and not on the current air traffic of the state”, the CM said.
Sangma also said the vision for aviation scenario in the state is being executed step by step by the government. The objective of the state is to further expand the Airport to accommodate bigger aircraft for which the state is working towards expansion of the airport for operation of ATR-72 type planes.
He urged the DC of West Garo Hills to ensure that the process of land acquisition is not delayed and for extension of the runway to be taken up immediately to facilitate landing of both cargo and passenger planes.
