Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon be visiting the north eastern state Sikkim to inaugurate its first airport, located at Pakyong, a senior official told PTI. It is located 30 km from the capital Gangtok, is said to be a greenfield airport. The airport has been built at a height of 4,500 feet in an inhospitable terrain.
Once this airport starts functioning, it will put Sikkim on the aviation map. Following inauguration, this would be India’s 100th airport.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to address a public meeting at St Xavier’s school in Pakyong. He will return to Delhi on the same day, Chief Secretary AK Shrivastava told PTI after chairing a high-level meeting.
“I am very happy to share that the Hon’ble prime minister is visiting Sikkim for the second time and this, time he will be inaugurating the Pakyong airport, which is ready and has undergone a trial on two occasions in the month of March 2018,” the chief secretary was quoted as saying by PTI.
The State has been informed by the PMO and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry about PM Modi’s visit and the Airport inauguration ceremony. Despite the formal inauguration, Sikkim airport would only start functioning in the first week of October.
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