• Sikkim’s newly-constructed airport, the Himalayan state’s first, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 September.

About:

• Pakyong Airport is a Greenfield airport near Gangtok, the state capital of Sikkim, India. Prior to  the  construction  of  Pakyong  Airport, Sikkim  had  been  the  sole  state  in  India possessing no functional airport.
• At 4500  ft,  Pakyong  Airport is  one  of  the five  highest  airports  in    It  is  also  the first greenfield airport to  be  constructed  in  the  North-eastern  Region  of  India,  the 100th operational airport in India, and the only airport in the state of Sikkim.
• As  Pakyong   Airport  sits  approximately   60 km from the India-China  border, it is considered strategically important.
• Doklam pass was recent standoff between India -china was happened is 54 km from this airport It has been reported that the Indian Air Force (IAF) would have the ability to land certain military aircraft at the site, if necessary.
• As a result, the ministries of home affairs and civil aviation are disputing which should be in charge of securing the airport. The airport will boost Sikkim’s economy by making the state more accessible for tourists. Currently, tourists headed for Gangtok by air have to fly to Bagdogra and travel for more than four hours (128 km) by road to reach the city.