First Direct Flight Service to Shillong from December 21

The hill state of Meghalaya will finally be carving a place for itself on the air map on 21st December, with the maiden Shillong-New Delhi flight. In a first, the 72-seater Bombardier Q400 aircraft will take off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi at 10 am and land at Umroi Airport at 1:10 pm, the same will return back to Delhi at 1:50 pm and land at 4 pm. The Meghalaya Government has signed a contract with private players to operate flights between New Delhi and Shillong, and the inaugural date for air services have been timed with the reopening of the state for tourists after a prolonged lockdown due to the pandemic. “At the same time when we start tourism, I am happy to inform that the first flight from Delhi to Shillong will also start on December 21,” said chief minister Conrad Sangma to the media. “We will ensure that the flight from Delhi to Shillong is operational at least twice a week. But the first flight will take off on the 21st (December),” he added. Earlier, discussing the possibility of direct flights between Meghalaya and Delhi, Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, Jitendra Singh said, "A direct flight to Shillong from Delhi will not only bring ease of travel but also promote tourism in the state.” He mentioned that special impetus was given to improve connectivity and transport through new airports, flights in different sectors, double-gauge rail tracks, network of roads and new inland waterways across the northeastern region.