Meghalaya Clears Land Purchase to Unlock Shillong Airport Runway Expansion

Overview

• The Cabinet approved buying community land at Umroi for a swap with the Defence estate, a prerequisite for extending the runway.
• Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar was tasked with leading consultations and completing the land acquisition from local stakeholders.
• Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said officials from AAI, the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA will convene on Friday to resolve technical issues for tender approval.
• AAI aims to appoint a contractor by the end of the year, moving the long-delayed project into the execution phase.
• The government projects about 15 months of construction after mobilization, targeting completion around March 2027 and enabling operations by larger aircraft beyond current ATRs.