Green light to major Umroi Airport expansion given by the Meghalaya Government

The Meghalaya government has given its approval in principle to the Airports Authority of India’s plan to upgrade Umroi Airport. The Meghalaya High Court heard a Public Interest Litigation today over the airport problem. According to rumors, the government has agreed to the AAI’s needs as outlined in a letter dated September 27, 2024. Nitesh Mozika, Deputy Solicitor General for the Airports Authority of India (AAI), thanked the government for its approval and requested eight weeks to prepare the proposal for submission to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The court accepted this was the first step towards expanding the airport and put the case for October 24 again. The extension idea was deemed unfeasible at the time due to the fact that it would cost more than Rs 7,000 crore to demolish the surrounding hills. Deputy Solicitor General Nitesh Mozika, representing the Airports Authority of India (AAI), thanked the government for approving its proposal and requested eight weeks to offer a proposal to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The High Court acknowledged this as the first tangible measure for the airport’s expansion and set the next hearing date for October 24. Previously, extending the runway was thought to be too expensive–an estimated Rs 7,000 crore–because it required the removal of neighboring hills.