Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the proposed extension of the Umroi Airport is moving forward as planned, even as the project continues to face procedural and land-related challenges.
Responding to a question on the latest status of the airport extension, Sangma said the project is “on track” but acknowledged that it is a complex exercise involving multiple stakeholders and levels of intervention. He said such complexities have made the process slower than initially anticipated.
“Small issues keep cropping up,” the Chief Minister said, adding that a fresh land-related issue has recently been flagged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). He explained that the concern relates not only to land but also to flight safety and the safety of residents living in the surrounding areas.
Sangma said this particular issue was identified after the DGCA became involved in the process and has since posed an additional challenge. “We are now working on that front as well,” he said, while declining to go into further details.
Despite these hurdles, the CM said efforts are being made to ensure that the expansion of the runway and the allotment of work are not delayed. “Once that part is done, construction will begin. While construction is underway, we will continue to resolve the remaining pending issues,” he said, expressing confidence that these would be addressed.
On timelines, Sangma said the government had earlier estimated that larger aircraft operations could begin by February-March 2027. While minor delays of a few months cannot be ruled out, he said the overall target remains unchanged.
“If we are only concerned with the current issues before us, I am confident that we should be able to meet the 2027 timeline,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the government hopes no further complications arise as the project moves forward.
