The Pakyong Airport in Sikkim has finally restarted operations on Tuesday, the 13th of March. The first flight after the resumption was to Delhi. In October last year, the flight services of the airport were suspended owing to some operational difficulties. This meant that since October, residents of Sikkim did not have access to flights to and from Pakyong airport. It has, undoubtedly, created many difficulties for the passengers. However, the airport has finally resumed flights.
Pakyong Airport Resumes Flight Service
The airport in Sikkim is located in Gangtok and is, so far, the only airport in the state. In the month of October last year, the airport suspended services citing operational issues. Since then, Sikkim has remained inaccessible by air.
However, yesterday, it finally resumed flight services. After the resumption of flight services, the first flight was by SpiceJet and it was headed towards the national capital of the country, Delhi. It will fully resume regular flight operations from the 26th of March.
Among other flights, there will be one daily to Delhi. Before the suspension of flights, SpiceJet had regular flights to and from Delhi and West Bengal, however, after the suspension, these were discontinued.
Suspension Impacted Tourism In The State
The state of Sikkim has a huge tourism industry. Because of its location, the most convenient way to reach this magnificent place is by air. However, it seems like the suspension of flights since October has led to a huge downfall in tourism in the state.
Even the Chief Minister of the state had filed a written request with the Directorate General of Civil Association or DGCA, which is the regulatory body for civil aviation in India, to restart flight operations at the airport.
The closest airport to the one in Sikkim is Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri, West Bengal. This airport is about 123 km from the Pakyong airport in Gangtok. Bagdogra is already a pretty busy airport and the traffic has only increased since the Pakyong airport was out of service.
Now, however, it seems that things will soon turn back to normal.
Also Read: Sikkim Is Hosting A Culturally Rich Losar Festival This Month. Here’s All You Need To Know About It
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