Located around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view.
Sikkim's dream of having an airport came true on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an aerodrome at Pakyong, around 33 km from Gangtok.
The foundation stone of the greenfield airport was laid in 2009. Coincidentally, Sikkim's first airport is also India's 100th.
The Prime Minister reached Sikkim on Sunday evening in an MI-8 chopper from Bagdogra and was received by Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and others at Libing Army Helipad. He was given a gun salute by the Army there. From the Army helipad, the prime minister's entourage travelled around 5 km to the Raj Bhawan where he stayed for the night.
The airport will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of Sikkim closer to the state capital.
Located around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for landing and taking off, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday.
The establishment of the airport is expected to provide major impetus to tourism, with Sikkim being perceived as one of the most popular destinations for tourists all throughout the year. It is also expected to cause a significant reduction in travel time for tourists, who earlier had to board from Bagdogra in West Bengal.
Built at an estimated cost of over Rs 605 crore, the Pakyong Airport is a new distinction for Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India.
The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level, Sikkim Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said.
The airport was constructed by the Airports Authority of India and at present, the nearest airport from Sikkim is located 124 km away in Bagdogra in West Bengal, he told PTI.
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, Srivastava said.
Integrated structures comprising an ATC tower-cum-fire station, two sophisticated CFT, one terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights, parking for over 50 vehicles are some of the features of the airport, the chief secretary said.
The reinforcement wall of the project is 80-metre-high, one of the tallest in the world, Srivastava said.
The Pakyong airport is located around 60 km from the Indo-China border.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) would be able to land various types of aircraft on the airport's runway with the construction of another 75-metre stretch adjacent to the main runway in the coming days, the chief secretary said.
The airport has a 1.75 km runway with 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.
(With PTI inputs)
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