Sikkim became the latest addition to India’s aviation map as SpiceJet operated the first direct commercial flight to the Pakyong airport from Kolkata on Thursday (Oct 4), the airline said in a statement. 

The airline will operate direct flights on the Kolkata-Pakyong-Kolkata route daily under a regional connectivity scheme, the statement said. 

SpiceJet's Bombardier Q400 aircraft carrying 74 people from Kolkota landed at the Pakyong Greenfield Airport Thursday, a statement issued by the Sikkim government said. 

"A new avenue for transport has been opened up for the common man. This means travel and commuting for the people in Sikkim will not only be less time consuming but convenient as well," Sikim Transport Minister D T Lepcha said after the flight landed at Pakyong. 

"Today is a proud moment for SpiceJet and a historic one for Indian aviation as we have put Sikkim on India's aviation map," said Ajay Singh, the chairman and managing director, SpiceJet. 

The first direct flight to Pakyong was flagged off from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. 

The flight was greeted with a grand water cannon salute upon its arrival at the Pakyong airport, the airline said. 

SpiceJet is the first and only airline to connect this majestic state with the rest of the country and beyond, and will be connecting Pakyong with Guwahati from October 16, Singh said. 

Source: Economic Times

BDST: 1800 HRS, OCT 5, 2018
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