Shillong, Jan. 31: Umroi, Meghalaya’s only operating airport, is set to get a facelift with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) agreeing to provide night-landing facilities.

Inaugurated in 2002, there are hardly any passengers from Umroi who fly to Calcutta. At present a 50-seater aircraft of Air India operates twice a week. However, the flight is irregular due to adverse weather conditions on most days.

Meghalaya chief secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, who is in Delhi, said over phone that he had a meeting with officials of the ministry of civil aviation and AAI yesterday and discussed the upgradation plan for Umroi airport.

As adverse weather conditions prevent safe landing of aircraft at Umroi, the officials in Delhi have agreed to provide navigational aides that include setting up of instrument landing system (ILS), precision approach path indicators, night-landing facilities and lighting of the runway at night.

The system is likely to be put in place within three to six moths, Chatterjee said.

“We also need a new terminal building which can accommodate at least 150 passengers,” he said. The upgradation plan includes land acquisition to expand the runway and other facilities so that Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 aircraft can land at Umroi.