Tourism Minister asks for central assistance of Rs 20 crore for upgradation of helipads
GANGTOK, 12 Sept [IPR]: Sikkim’s first green field airport at Pakyong will be completed by December 2014 said Tourism Minister, Bhim Prasad Dhungel after meeting with Union Tourism Minister, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi in Transport Bhawan, New Delhi today.
The Pakyong airport is being built at an altitude of 4,700 ft which will be one of the five highest airports in India. The reinforcement wall on the project is 80 m height, which is one of the tallest reinforcement walls in the world.
The Minister said that construction work on the Rs 300 crore airport being constructed by Airport Authority of India on 200 acres of land at Pakyong is in full swing and added that operational flights for the airport will be commissioned by March 2015. The airport having 180 mts long airstrip will facilitate flights of ATR-72 planes and include hangars for two small ATR aircrafts, he added.
At present, the nearest airport to Sikkim is located 124 kilometres away at Bagdogra in West Bengal.
Mr Dhungel said that it will open an alternative connectivity route to the state as at present the state has to depend solely on NH 31 for connecting it to the rest of the world. He said that the airport will also facilitate free movement to the state from the rest of the country when the National Highway 31 is blocked by protestors and agitators from time to time.
The airport consists of a terminal building measuring 2380 square metres with a capacity of 100 passengers, a car park for 80 vehicles and a fire station cum Air Traffic Control Tower. The airport is being built at an altitude of 4,700 ft with deep valleys at both ends of the runway featuring a 1700 metre long, 30 metre wide runway and a 116 metre long taxiway connecting it to an apron measuring 106 metres by 76 metres.
Mr Dhungel said that the state government will consider demand of additional land for construction of Green Field Airport. He requested the Union Tourism Minister to provide central assistance of Rs 20 crore for upgradation of helipads in the state in conformity norms with the DGCA. The state government has constructed helipads at Namchi, Pelling, Dalapchand, Lachung, Ravangla, Dodak, Yangang and Mangan and all these helipads need to be upgraded to meet modern safety standards, said Mr Dhungel. He added that at present the Burtuk helipad fully conforms to the safety standards fixed by DGCA.
He further suggested handing the security of the airport to the state police to curtail expenditure on operational costs and added that Sikkim police is fully equipped trained and competent to handle the security of Green field airport.
The state government will provide all the logistic and other facilities to the AAI for timely completion of construction work and added that necessary fire, rescue and other modern facilities will be provided by the state government when the airport becomes operational, said the Minister.
Sikkim Tourism Secretary, C Zangpo was also present in the meeting.
GANGTOK, 12 Sept [IPR]: Sikkim’s first green field airport at Pakyong will be completed by December 2014 said Tourism Minister, Bhim Prasad Dhungel after meeting with Union Tourism Minister, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi in Transport Bhawan, New Delhi today.
The Pakyong airport is being built at an altitude of 4,700 ft which will be one of the five highest airports in India. The reinforcement wall on the project is 80 m height, which is one of the tallest reinforcement walls in the world.
The Minister said that construction work on the Rs 300 crore airport being constructed by Airport Authority of India on 200 acres of land at Pakyong is in full swing and added that operational flights for the airport will be commissioned by March 2015. The airport having 180 mts long airstrip will facilitate flights of ATR-72 planes and include hangars for two small ATR aircrafts, he added.
At present, the nearest airport to Sikkim is located 124 kilometres away at Bagdogra in West Bengal.
Mr Dhungel said that it will open an alternative connectivity route to the state as at present the state has to depend solely on NH 31 for connecting it to the rest of the world. He said that the airport will also facilitate free movement to the state from the rest of the country when the National Highway 31 is blocked by protestors and agitators from time to time.
The airport consists of a terminal building measuring 2380 square metres with a capacity of 100 passengers, a car park for 80 vehicles and a fire station cum Air Traffic Control Tower. The airport is being built at an altitude of 4,700 ft with deep valleys at both ends of the runway featuring a 1700 metre long, 30 metre wide runway and a 116 metre long taxiway connecting it to an apron measuring 106 metres by 76 metres.
Mr Dhungel said that the state government will consider demand of additional land for construction of Green Field Airport. He requested the Union Tourism Minister to provide central assistance of Rs 20 crore for upgradation of helipads in the state in conformity norms with the DGCA. The state government has constructed helipads at Namchi, Pelling, Dalapchand, Lachung, Ravangla, Dodak, Yangang and Mangan and all these helipads need to be upgraded to meet modern safety standards, said Mr Dhungel. He added that at present the Burtuk helipad fully conforms to the safety standards fixed by DGCA.
He further suggested handing the security of the airport to the state police to curtail expenditure on operational costs and added that Sikkim police is fully equipped trained and competent to handle the security of Green field airport.
The state government will provide all the logistic and other facilities to the AAI for timely completion of construction work and added that necessary fire, rescue and other modern facilities will be provided by the state government when the airport becomes operational, said the Minister.
Sikkim Tourism Secretary, C Zangpo was also present in the meeting.
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