Sikkim’s First Greenfield Airport to be Completed by 2014

New Delhi, 12 September 2013:  Sikkim’s first greenfield airport at Pakyong is set for completion by December 2014, providing vital air connectivity to the landlocked state, according to Sikkim’s Tourism Minister, Bhim Prasad Dhungel. The announcement was made following his meeting with Union Tourism Minister Dr K. Chiranjeevi at Transport Bhawan, New Delhi.

Situated at an altitude of 4,700 feet, Pakyong Airport will be among the five highest airports in India. Notably, the project features an 80-metre-high reinforcement wall, making it one of the tallest in the world.

The Minister stated that construction is progressing swiftly on the state’s first airport, being built by the Airports Authority of India at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Spanning 200 acres, the airport is located approximately 30 kilometres south of the state capital, Gangtok. He further added that operational flights are expected to commence by March 2015. The airport will include a 1,800-metre-long airstrip, facilitating ATR-72 aircraft, with hangars for two small ATR planes.

Currently, the nearest airport to Sikkim is at Bagdogra in West Bengal, 124 kilometres away. Dhungel highlighted that the new airport would provide an alternative connectivity route for the state, which presently relies solely on National Highway 31 for access to the rest of the country. He emphasised that the airport would ensure uninterrupted movement in and out of the state, particularly when the highway is blocked due to protests or agitation.

The airport will feature a terminal building covering 2,380 square metres, with a capacity for 100 passengers, along with parking facilities for 80 vehicles and a fire station-cum-Air Traffic Control Tower.

The Minister also mentioned that Belfast-based geotechnical company MaccaFerri had won an international award for its engineering work in carving out the airport from the mountainside using massive geotechnical ‘cut and fill’ techniques. The airport’s infrastructure will include a 1,700-metre-long, 30-metre-wide runway, a 116-metre-long taxiway, and an apron measuring 106 metres by 76 metres.

Dhungel stated that the Sikkim government would consider the demand for additional land for the expansion of the greenfield airport. He also requested the Union Tourism Minister to provide central assistance of Rs 20 crore for upgrading helipads in the state to meet DGCA norms. He noted that the state government had constructed helipads in Namchi, Palling, Dalapchen, Lachung, Ravong, Dodak, Yangang, and Mangan, but all required upgrades to align with modern safety standards. However, the Burtuk helipad, located four kilometres from Gangtok, already meets the DGCA’s safety requirements.

The Minister further proposed that the security of the airport be entrusted to the state police to reduce operational costs, asserting that Sikkim Police is fully trained and equipped for the task. He assured that the state government would provide all logistical and necessary support to the Airports Authority of India for the timely completion of the airport’s construction. Additionally, modern fire rescue and other essential facilities would be made available upon the airport’s commencement of operations.

Sikkim’s Tourism Secretary, C. Zangpo, was also present at the meeting.

 

Share: