10/10/2018 Sikkim gets its first airport and the country its 100th at Pakyong - The Hindu

OTHER STATES

Sikkim gets its first airport and the country its 100th at
Pakyong

The Hindu Net Desk

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 11:26 IST
UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 16:00 IST

The green eld airport, located 30 km from capital Gangtok, was inaugurated by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.

Sikkim is now part of India’s aviation map as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
State’s first airport at Pakyong on September 24. This is also the 100th airport in the country.

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The greenfield airport, located 30 km from capital Gangtok, will start its commercial
operations from the first week of October, according to the State Chief Secretary A.K.
Shrivastava. Spicejet’s Bombardier Q-400 aircraft will ferry passengers to and from Sikkim,
Guwahati, and Kolkata.
Under the Union government’s UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity
scheme, the private carrier will operate daily direct flights between Pakyong and Kolkata from
October 4 and between Pakyong and Guwahati from October 16. Pakyong is SpiceJet’s ninth
destination under the scheme.

An inside view of the Pakyong airport tweeted by the Prime Minister's Of ce on Sunday.   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In the absence of flights to the State, people headed for Gangtok would fly to Bagdogra airport
in West Bengal’s Siliguri district, and then journey over 100 km to reach Gangtok.

Located on top of a hill

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10/10/2018 Sikkim gets its first airport and the country its 100th at Pakyong - The Hindu

The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km from Pakyong
village, at 4,500 feet above sea level. The airport was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 605
crore and is an “engineering marvel” for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation
techniques keeping in view the altitude it was built at, Mr. Srivastava told PTI.

Integrated structures comprising an ATC tower-cum-fire station, two sophisticated CFT, one
terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights, and parking for over 50
vehicles are some of the features of the airport, the Chief Secretary said.

The Pakyong airport’s 1.75-km runway has a width of 30 metres.   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The reinforcement wall of the project is 80-metre-high, one of the tallest in the world, Mr.
Srivastava said.

The 11th Finance Commission sanctioned Rs. 50 crore to build an airstrip in Sikkim in 2000.
The State government chose Pakyong and kickstarted the process of acquiring land.

In 2006, under the UPA-1 government, the Union Cabinet’s Committee on Economic Affairs
approved the construction of a greenfield airport at Pakyong with a 1,700-metre-long runway,
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10/10/2018 Sikkim gets its first airport and the country its 100th at Pakyong - The Hindu

two parking bays, and a terminal building to handle 100 passengers at a time.

The following year, the Punj Lloyd Group was awarded the contract to develop the airport.

On March 10 this year, Spicejet’s aircraft touched down in Pakyong with officials of the airline,
the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on
board.

“I am extremely happy to know that the maiden flight of SpiceJet to Pakyong airport landed
safely,” Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling said in the Legislative Assembly,
adding that it was “a momentous occasion for Sikkim and the Sikkimese people.”

Situated around 60 km from India-China border

The Pakyong airport is located around 60 km from the India-China border.

The airport’s 1.75-km runway has a width of 30 metre. It has a 116-metre-long taxiway
connecting it to an apron measuring 106 metre by 76 metre that can simultaneously
accommodate two ATR-72 aircraft. Another 75-metre stretch adjacent to the main runway is
being constructed for the use of the Indian Air Force.

The airport that has a 3,000 sq metre terminal building has a capacity to handle 50 in-bound
and as many out-bound passengers.
(With inputs from PTI)

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10/10/2018 Sikkim gets its first airport and the country its 100th at Pakyong - The Hindu

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