SpiceJet restarts flights to Sikkim’s Pakyong airport from Kolkata, Delhi

Kolkata: Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has resumed its flight operations to Pakyong airport in Sikkim from Kolkata and Delhi, the airline said on Thursday.

The Delhi-Pakyong route will be operational five days a week, while the Kolkata-Pakyong flight will operate daily, it said.

The airline said in a statement that it has also launched non-stop flights between Hyderabad and Ayodhya from Tuesday.

“We are happy to enhance connectivity to Ayodhya and Pakyong ahead of the forthcoming peak travel season. With an expanding fleet, we are poised to launch new routes and reinstate services on key ones," the statement quoted Debojo Maharshi, Chief Business Officer, SpiceJet, as saying.

The airline's services resumed on March 31.

The resumption of flight services to the Pakyong airport during the summer will cater to a huge number of tourists who visit the Himalayan state, B T Pote, the officiating airport director (APD), Pakyong airport, told PTI.

“All the flights have been full since the services resumed, the weather is very good and we are fully prepared to handle flights to the airport even during the monsoon season,” the officiating APD said.

The road connectivity to the airport from all parts of the state and surrounding areas is also good for hassle-free travel of tourists, he said.

The flight services at the airport, which has a table-top runway, were suspended approximately six months ago owing to some operational reasons.

SpiceJet began flight operations to the Pakyong airport in 2018, but services have been irregular due to various operational reasons, including visibility issues.

According to the schedule, the daily flight from Kolkata will take off at 8.05 am and reach Pakyong at 9.35 am. It will depart from there at 10.30 am and reach Kolkata at 12.10 pm.

Similarly, the flight from New Delhi will take off at 9.45 am and land at the airport in Sikkim at 12.40 pm. The return flight will take off at 1.10 pm and reach New Delhi at 4.10 pm.