After a five-month suspension, flight services have resumed at Pakyong airport in Sikkim, India. The airport, situated atop a hill and one of the highest in the country, faced operational difficulties leading to the suspension of services in October last year. This caused inconvenience to the people of the state and had an adverse impact on the tourism industry in Sikkim.
The first flight after the resumption of services was a SpiceJet plane, which took off for Delhi with 43 passengers, after landing at the airport with 12 passengers. Officials have confirmed that regular flight services will begin from March 26, with a daily flight to Delhi for now. Before the suspension of operations, SpiceJet used to operate daily flights to Delhi and Kolkata from Pakyong.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang had earlier written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting the resumption of flight services at the airport. The Pakyong airport is located approximately 26.8 km from the state capital, Gangtok, and is situated at a higher altitude than other regional airports.
The busy Bagdogra airport in Siliguri, West Bengal, approximately 123 km from Gangtok, is the nearest airport serving the region. However, with the resumption of flight services at Pakyong airport, it is expected to provide greater connectivity and convenience to the people of Sikkim and boost the tourism industry in the state.
