Pakyong Airport was inaugurated on 24 September by our Prime Minister Modi. It covers an area of over 990 acres, and is located just 35 km south of Gangtok.
Constructed at 4,500 feet above sea level, it is among the five highest airports in the country, the highest being Leh. It is likely to become operational in first week of October.
Sikkim has been getting cut off from rest of the Country due to land slides, earthquakes and even when some politico in West Bengal catching “ cold “.
In June last year, when the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland reached its peak in North Bengal hills, tourism in neighbouring Sikkim virtually came to a halt.
The life line of Sikkim, the most important National Highway-10 (NH-10) was shut for several days.
The new airport in Gangtok that is set to begin operations is expected to bridge a wide gap in the state’s tourism and infrastructure.
However, people are bit apprehensive because of the high altitude location of the airport in which bad weather would be a factor on the success of the airport.
“We are hopeful that the airport will operate smoothly,” said the secretary.
In and around the airport there is a buzz of excitement buttered by expectation: This could mean business.
“This new airport has created a sensation among Indians and foreigners who are showing interest to come here. Those who come from abroad always prefer taking flights than travelling by road.
In a bid to attract more foreign tourists, our government is laying special focus on orchid cultivation in the state and a lot of people in and around Pakyong area have started it.
With air connectivity, the orchid growers will get a lot of benefits. Similarly the organic products could be supplied to other parts of the country,” said C P Dhakal, secretary, state tourism and civil aviation department.
“For so long we had only the NH-10 to depend on for tourists. With the state having its own airport, people now will directly come here without having to suffer the pains of landslides and agitation in North Bengal.
We are also expecting a lot of foreign tourists which will be a massive boost to our business,” said Prema Choden a shop owner in Gangtok’s MG Marg which teems with tourists.
“It is about 35 km from Gangtok. We are hoping to charge something of Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 from tourists for one way journey,” said taxi driver Santosh.
Last year due to Darjeeling bund a number of hotels in Gangtok saw largescale cancellations of booking.
“We don’t want to witness such a situation again. If we lose bookings due to natural causes then it is understandable.
However, it is not desired to lose tourists due to man-made calamities. Now we will not face these problems because of the new airport,” said a hotel owner.
