It's finally here and official--Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pakyong Airport on September 24, the very first airport in Sikkim which also turned out to be the 100th airport in India. The 990-acre airport is a mere 33km away from the capital city Gangtok which means, travellers to Sikkim will no longer have to come by road via Bagdogra, which was the case uptil now.

SpiceJet will fly the first ever commercial flight to Pakyong from Kolkata on October 4, 2018. Following suit, October 16 onwards there will be Pakyong to Guwahati (round trip) flights. Kolkata to Pakyong flight will be of 1 hour 25 minutes (85minutes) in duration. It is definitely going to make travel to Sikkim a lot easier and less time-consuming. From defence point of view, Pakyong Airport holds a strategic location. Located just 60 km away from the Indo-China border, the new airport will play a crucial role in providing a convenient option for the Indian Air Force.