Shillong, January 22, 2025: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday informed about the state’s optimism in seeing larger commercial aircrafts, such as the Airbus 320, landing at Umroi Airport within the next 12 to 15 months.
Providing details about his recent meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Sangma stated, “As you are aware, a certain section of the extended runway required for the expansion of Umroi Airport involves a small number of acres of land under defence. We have had multiple meetings with the Defence Ministry, and discussions are ongoing about how to proceed further.”
He added, “My meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was to apprise him of this situation, and I received a very positive response. He assured full support for the expansion of the runway, which is critical for enabling larger commercial flights like the Airbus A320 to land in Shillong.”
The Chief Minister emphasized the transformative impact of this development, saying, “We are hopeful that the expansion of the runway will commence soon, and within a maximum of 12 to 15 months, we should see commercial flights, including larger aircrafts like the A320, landing at Umroi Airport. This will be a major game changer for tourism in Meghalaya.”
Sangma concluded by expressing confidence that direct flights from Delhi and the operation of larger commercial aircrafts would significantly boost connectivity and tourism opportunities for the state.