The Donyi Polo airport at Hollongi which was supposed to be inaugurated on August 15 will now be inaugurated in October. As per the media report, getting airport licensing from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is being delayed due to concerns over safety measures. The majority of civil works is almost complete but the safety issue remains unresolved. The state government has taken a wise decision by postponing the inaugural date of the airport. People of Arunachal Pradesh in particular, the Itanagar capital region have waited for a long time for Hollongi airport to start operation.
However, in order to meet the deadline, the government should not rush. There are possibilities of the quality of work being compromised just to meet the deadline. The airport is a very sensitive infrastructure project. The safety concerns cannot be compromised at any cost. The state government should open it for operational purposes only when everything is in order. People can afford to wait for some time for the airport to start operation. But no one can afford to make any compromise with the safety concern.