No bidders are interested to operate smaller flights from the Baljek Airport which is located in the outskirts of Tura, West Garo Hills.
Replying to a query from Ampati MLA, Miani D. Shira in the Assembly today, Deputy Chief Minister (Transport) Sniawbhalang Dhar said that the chief minister has written several letters and the reply from the Ministry of Civil Aviation is that no bidder is interested to operate smaller flights.
Terming this as unfortunate, Dhar however said that he is following up on the matter to ensure that smaller flights operate from the Baljek Airport.
Earlier, Shira also inquired from the government as to why the airport could not be made functional till date to which Dhar replied that the total area of the airport is not enough to operate ATR flights
Dhar said that the State government in 2013 had acquired 50 acres of land but it was not sufficient enough and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked for more land.
“We are following up on the matter but it will take some more time as without another 60 acres of land, we cannot operate ATRs from there,’ he said.
Dhar said that the land acquisition process for another 60 acres is on after which AAI would be asked to send a detailed project report (DPR) for infrastructural development of the airport.
He also said that the present length of the runway at the Baljek Airport is 1100 metres and it needs to be extended to 1750 metres for ATRs to land.
