Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the first greenfield airport of Sikkim at Paykong.
Sikkim's dream of having an airport came true nine years after a foundation stone for it was laid around 33 km from state capital Gangtok, in 2009.
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The first commercial flight from Pakyong would begin from October 4, Pakyong Airport Director R Manjunatha said. Until now, Sikkim was the only state in India remaining without a functional airport.
"In Sikkim, I will be inaugurating the Pakyong Airport tomorrow, which will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim," PM Modi tweeted on Sunday.
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Pakyong airport will pave the way for direct connectivity to Sikkim and is the 100th airport of the country.
Located around 60 km from the Indo-China border, the airport is spread across over 201 acres and is located on the top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level, Sikkim Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said.
