Shillong, Aug 26: The long-pending Baljek Airport in West Garo Hills is expected to become operational next year as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) prepares to take over and develop the facility.
The Meghalaya government anticipates signing the final handover agreement by September, with commercial flight operations beginning around the middle of 2027.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Transport Sniawbhalang Dhar told the Assembly today that the AAI is preparing a revised master plan for the expansion of Baljek Airport to accommodate propeller and jet planes like the ATR 72, Q400 and A320.
He said the AAI would conduct a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey and feasibility assessment to determine the technical requirements and exact land needed for the proposed expansion.
Dhar said the state currently has 211.13 acres of land for the airport, but additional land will be required – around 68 acres for Phase I to facilitate 72-seater aircraft operations under Visual Flight Rules, while a further 150 acres could be required for Phase II to enable 72-seater Instrument Flight Rules operations.
The state government has not yet finalised the acquisition of additional land and is awaiting a joint inspection involving AAI and state government officials to accurately identify the required land and avoid future complications.
The central and state governments have now agreed to sign a fresh memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the AAI to take over Baljek Airport. This is expected to be signed in September after which the necessary surveys and assessment of additional land would be undertaken.
This represents a significant change from the earlier arrangement with the AAI, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.
The first MoU was primarily for management of the airport, as the AAI had initially been unwilling to take over the entire facility. Following discussions with the central government, the AAI had now agreed to take over the airport completely.
“This is a completely new thing, which is a great thing for us,” Sangma said, explaining that the full takeover would mean that the AAI would invest in, fund and develop the airport.
The first phase in the revival of the airport will focus on operationalising it for smaller 19-seater aircraft. The state has sanctioned around Rs 55 crore for improving the existing infrastructure, while the overall requirement for initial operationalisation was estimated at around Rs 65 crore.
He said an arrangement under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme was also being worked out with the Centre. Air India subsidiary Alliance Air has shown interest in operating 19-seater Dornier aircraft, with Shillong and Kolkata among the possible routes being examined.
He said the AAI would renovate the existing terminal building and undertake necessary work on the runway and other infrastructure after the new handover MoU is signed.
The renovation and preparatory work is expected to take around nine to 10 months. If all goes to plan, the first flights will operate around July-August-September next year, subject to the completion of the works and other formalities.
Ampati MLA Miani D Shira welcomed the development, saying people across Garo Hills had been waiting for the airport to become operational for a long time. She said even the operation of smaller aircraft from Baljek would significantly benefit residents who currently have to travel to Guwahati to access air services.
Shira also sought clarification on whether the proposed 19-seater flights could begin without acquiring the additional land. Dhar said this was technically possible but the existing infrastructure was not currently ready for operations.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma recalled that Baljek Airport had been inaugurated by the President of India and said the initial land acquisition had been carried out following feasibility and technical assessments by the AAI.
He sought details on the cost of the earlier management arrangement, the expenditure required for operationalisation and the timeline for commencing flights.
Apart from the already sanctioned Rs 55 crore, the CM said the AAI’s operational requirement was roughly Rs 2 crore annually, though the exact figures were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, TMC MLA Rupa Marak sought information on payments to landowners whose land had previously been acquired for the airport. Dhar said compensation for the earlier acquisition covering the 211 acres had already been paid.
Marak also raised concerns about the current condition of the airport infrastructure, describing the facility as severely damaged and alleging that a substantial portion had deteriorated due to neglect. Marak urged the government to deploy security personnel or police patrols at the airport, claiming that the abandoned facility was being used for anti-social activities.
