Shillong, Oct 7: In a significant boost to the long-pending expansion of Shillong Airport at Umroi, local villagers around the airport have extended overwhelming support to the project during a public hearing held on Tuesday.
At the same time, the village leaders raised concern over employment opportunities to be reserved for the local community at the airport.
The state government is handling land acquisition for the project which is expected to bring transformation in the state’s tourism sector.
With a runway extension from current 1,829 meter to 2,400 meter, the new airport would be able to accommodate larger aircraft such as A320, facilitating direct flights from metro cities.
“The runway will be extended by 571 meter to accommodate larger aircraft. The terminal building will be expanded from 5,000 sqm to 10,500 sqm,” Director of Shillong Airport Rajeev Ranjan told reporters on Tuesday.
Currently at tendering stage, the project is expected to take around 18 months after starting the work.
Meanwhile, Airport Authority of India (AAI) has assured that local people from nearby villages will be given priority in employment opportunities.
“The expansion work will be taken over by the agency and we will ensure that as far as possible, semi-skilled, unskilled workers are taken from nearby villages and for others.”
He also assured to give priority to local people in jobs requiring specialised skills as well.
According to him, almost 70-80 percent people working in the airport are locals.
With expansion of the airport, passenger footfall is likely to increase up to 5-6 million per year and employment opportunities for locals will go up three-four times as well, he said.
The airport director further informed that the airport plans to undertake CSR projects, including a proposal to provide facilities for a blind school.
The airport is working with the education department to divert a drain that is allegedly blocking water to farmers downstream.
