The Federation of Shillong Hotels has urged the government to restore interstate flights to Shillong Airport at Umroi under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme, emphasizing the need to revive tourism in the region. The federation highlighted that the cessation of routes to cities such as Agartala and Dimapur has negatively impacted tourist arrivals and the local hospitality industry. Parambir Singh Sehdave, the federation’s president, pointed out that while the airport was previously linked to these cities under the UDAN scheme, services have been suspended for several years, greatly affecting weekend tourism to Shillong.
Sehdave noted that, although airport expansion will take time to implement, it is crucial for the government to consider reinstating flights under the UDAN scheme to support tourism until the upgrades are completed. The Shillong Airport is set for enhancement, with upcoming runway and terminal expansions expected to accommodate larger flights. Currently, the airport serves approximately 7,000-8,000 passengers monthly and operates about four flights daily.
Plans for airport expansion include extending the runway from 1,829 meters to 2,400 meters, thereby allowing for the operation of Boeing and Airbus narrow-body aircraft, and potentially some wide-body types. There is a general sense of optimism regarding the airport’s upgrade, although no definitive timeline has been established as to when these developments will take place. The Meghalaya government has indicated that once the runway expansion commences, it will take around 18 months to complete.
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