Shillong, Sept 15: The Meghalaya government will set up a dedicated Civil Aviation wing under the Transport Department to manage the state’s expanding aviation sector, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
Sangma said Meghalaya is witnessing significant growth in aviation infrastructure, including the expansion of the runway at Umroi Airport, revival of Baljek Airport and construction of heliports across the state.
He said the projects, along with plans to introduce helicopter tourism, require focused administrative attention and closer coordination with the Centre and other agencies.
“Aviation is a vast sector that requires close coordination with the central government and other agencies. Currently, there is no dedicated officer and the Commissioner and Secretary are handling it along with other charges,” Sangma said.
The proposed Civil Aviation wing will have dedicated officials exclusively handling aviation-related matters.
On the heliport initiative, Sangma said projects in Shillong and Tura have already been sanctioned, while work is underway for three to four more locations, including Sohra.
The heliports are expected to improve connectivity and provide a boost to tourism in the state.
