Work on sikkim airport to start next month

Gangtok: The construction of the greenfield airport at Pakyong in East Sikkim will finally commence next month.

Senior officials from the Union Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have come here to hold consultations and a final review meeting on the airport with the Union Cabinet Secretary, Mr K.M. Chandrasekhar, who is on a visit to the city.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr V.P. Agarwal, Member (Planning) of AAI, said that the airport would cost Rs 350 crore. Last month, the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given its sanction for the construction of the airport for ATR planes.

The AAI team credited the Chief Minister, Mr Pawan Chamling, for the new air link. “It is only through the vision and hard work of Chief Minster of Sikkim that the construction of the new airport will commence soon,” Mr Sudhir Raheja, AAI Executive Director, said.

The new airport will have a 1,800-m long runway with two parking bays. The terminal will have a capacity to handle 100 passengers (50 arriving and 50 departing) at a time and will be completed within three years.