H.D.R. Lyngdoh in the Assembly in Shillong on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Shillong, Nov. 26: The Meghalaya government today asserted that Umroi airport was sufficient to cater to passengers while assuring that the Baljek airport in West Garo Hills would be upgraded to facilitate the landing of ATR aircrafts.

Replying to queries during question hour on the fourth day of the winter session of the Assembly, transport minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh said no alternative sites, which are closer to the state capital, have been identified for developing a new airport.

“Umroi and Baljek airports are sufficient,” the minister said while replying to a query posed by UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh who wondered how Umroi airport, which covers only 224.16 acres compared to Imphal’s international airport of 1,275 acres, can cater to the needs of air passengers.

However, the transport minister said the government has taken steps to upgrade the Umroi airport and create facilities for landing of bigger aircrafts like Boeing. Alliance Air has resumed its operations on the Calcutta-Umroi-Calcutta sector, he added.

“Additional land of 258 acres has been acquired and handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for upgrading Umroi airport while the Instrument Landing System (ILS), to facilitate better visibility even during unfavourable weather conditions, is ready for installation at the airport,” the minister said.

On Baljek airport, which is located near Tura, Lyngdoh said the same has remained non-operational because it was designed and built as a STOL (short take-off and landing) strip.

The transport minister also said while the airport is fit for operating small Dornier-type aircraft, there are no takers for such aircraft.

“The government has taken steps to upgrade Baljek airport to make it fit for the landing of ATR aircraft. For this purpose, an additional land of 58 acres was acquired. This additional land has been handed over to AAI, but it is yet to start the expansion work,” he said. Minus the additional land, the airport covers an area of 153 acres only.

Moreover, he said an additional fund of Rs 111.23 crore has to be allocated by the Centre for upgrading the airport.

To another query, the transport minister said currently there was no proposal to build a greenfield airport in the eastern part of the state.