High Court of Meghalaya
Registrar General, High Court Of vs . State Of Meghalaya & Ors. on 2 December, 2021 Serial No. 02
Regular List
HIGH COURT OF MEGHALAYA
AT SHILLONG
PIL No. 4/2021 with
MC (PIL) No. 1/2021
MC (PIL) No. 2/2021
MC (PIL) No. 3/2021
Date of Order: 02.12.2021
Registrar General, High Court of Vs. State of Meghalaya & Ors.
Meghalaya
Registrar General, High Court of Vs. State of Meghalaya & Ors.
Meghalaya
Managing Director, Indigo Vs. Registrar General, High
Court of Meghalaya & 20
Ors.
Airports Authority of India Vs. Registrar General, High
Court of Meghalaya & 4
Ors.
Coram:
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjib Banerjee, Chief Justice
Hon’ble Mr. Justice W. Diengdoh, Judge
Appearance:
For the Petitioner/Appellant (s) : Mr. P. Yobin, Amicus Curiae
For the Respondent (s) : Mr. A. Kumar, AG with
Ms. R. Colney, GA
Dr. N. Mozika, ASG with
Ms. L. Jana, Adv.
The matter pertains to the development and possible expansion of the
facilities at the Umroi Airport which is about an hour’s drive from Shillong, off
the Guwahati-Shillong Highway.
The State, the Airports Authority of India and the Directorate General
of Civil Aviation are represented. It is submitted on behalf of the AAI that the
instrument landing system has been installed to enable flights to operate in
instruments flight rules conditions when the visibility is poor.
It is also agreed all round that connectivity to Shillong, serviced by the
Umroi Airport, has improved and there are now regular flights, inter alia, to
Dimapur, Dibrugarh, Imphal and Kolkata. However, the respondent authorities
submit that the cost-benefit analysis and feasibility studies conducted do not
reveal any significant increase in footfall if the Umroi Airport is expanded. In
any event, the cost of expansion may also not be justified.
Page 1 of 2
The State submits that a new greenfield project to set up an airport was
also under consideration, but the feasibility study undertaken shows that the
requisite expansion may not be warranted on the basis of the projected estimates
of use and footfall.
Within the constraints, the Umroi Airport should be developed and
expanded, even if not to cater to larger aircraft, so that there may be more flights
and the additional detour through Guwahati is avoided by passengers to and
from this State.
Let the matter appear ten weeks hence for the DGCA and the AAI to
file independent reports as to the development or expansion plans, within the
constraints, that may be undertaken within the next two or three years.
List the matter on December 13, 2021.
As far as MC (PIL) No. 3 of 2021 is concerned, it may no longer be
necessary for Mr. P. Yobin, Amicus Curiae, and Dr. N. Mozika, learned
Assistant Solicitor General, to travel to either Paro or Port Blair for the purpose
of the present proceedings.
MC (PIL) No. 3 of 2021 is disposed of.
(W. Diengdoh) (Sanjib Banerjee)
Judge Chief Justice
Meghalaya
02.12.2021
“Santosh, P.S.”
Page 2 of 2
Comments