The Federation of Shillong Hotels has urged the government to restore interstate flights to Shillong Airport at Umroi under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme to help revive tourism in the region. The federation highlighted that the discontinuation of flights to cities like Agartala and Dimapur has negatively impacted tourist inflow and the local hospitality industry. Parambir Singh Sehdave, the President of the Federation, noted that the airport was previously linked to these cities, but the services ceased years ago, significantly affecting weekend visitors to Shillong.
He emphasized the necessity of reinstating flights while waiting for planned airport expansions, which, although taking time, are crucial for enhancing tourism. Currently, Shillong Airport manages around 7,000–8,000 passengers monthly with approximately four daily flights. There are proposals to extend the airport’s runway from 1,829 metres to 2,400 metres, allowing for operations by Boeing and Airbus narrow-body aircraft, and possibly some wide-body types in the future. The Meghalaya government has indicated that runway expansion will take about 18 months once initiated, though no specific timeline has yet been confirmed for these upgrades.