With the Himalayas as a backdrop, jutting mountains in the distance, fields of green as far as the eye can see, and a terminal above the clouds, the new Pakyong Airport in India might be the most picturesque airport in the world!
Folks will now be able to fly non-stop from Mumbai (one of Emily’s top international shopping destinations) to Sikkim, a remote area in India bordered by Bhutan and Nepal.
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, formally announced Pakyong as the 100th airport in the country. Check out this video highlighting the engineering marvel!
It took 9 years in treacherous conditions, including monsoon rains, to build the airport terminal and runway. And it cost ~$69 million for engineers to build a magical entrance deep in the Himalayas.
The airport terminal is ~4,600 feet above sea level and has a capacity for 100 passengers. The ~1-mile long runway makes it possible for commercial airplanes to access the remote area of Sikkim. SpiceJet, one of India’s largest budget airlines will launch 2 daily routes to Pakyong Airport beginning October 4, 2018. Prior to construction of this airport, the nearest airport was a 5 hour drive and Sikkim was the only state in the country without its own airport.
Sikkim sounds like a destination I need to add to my bucket list. In the area, there are 28 mountain peaks, 21 glaciers, and 200+ lakes!
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