Nine years after the foundation was laid, PM Modi inaugurated the Pakyong Airport on September 24 in Sikkim. This is the first airport of the state.
Before the inauguration, PM Modi spoke about the inauguration of the airport on September 23 when he was launching Centre’s Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission in Ranchi. The prime minister had that it will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim.
Here’s all you need to know about it:
- The airport, whose foundation was laid down in Pakyong in 2009 is around 33 km from Gangtok – the state capital. The capital is based around 60 km from the Indo-China border.
- The airport is spanning over 201 acres. It is located on top of a hill that is about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.
- The Airports Authority of India constructed the airport which cost Rs 553 crore.
- Integrated structures of the airport contains of an ATC tower-cum-fire station, a terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights, parking for over 50 vehicles.
- The reinforcement wall of the project is 80-metre-high – one of the tallest in the world.
- It is capable of handling 50 in-bound and out-bound passengers.
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