Pakyong , March 10: Pakyong Airport witnessed a historic movement today at noon as the Spicejet 78 seater Bombardier Q400 aircraft made a successful landing. The plane's landing is seen as a major boost to the Sikkim state tourism prospect as it's the first time that a commercial flight has made a successful landing at the Pakyong Airport.
On March 5, the first aircraft Indian Air Force (IAF) had landed at the newly-constructed greenfield Pakyong airport in Sikkim paving way for the first civic flight that landed today. The IAF aircraft was a fixed wing 19-seater Dornier 228 and it was learnt that all the systems had worked well. The IAF aircraft made the landing at the airport despite the fact that the visibility was not so clear.
Present today at the event were state authority headed by Chief Secretary Sh AK Srivastav , Tourism Secretary, DC East ,SDM Pakyong Sub Division, Sikkim Police DG ,SP East ,Pakyong Airport Director ,General Manager, Special Branch ADGP and other important delegates from DGCA who arrived from Kolkata and New Delhi in a Spicejet flight. Even Twitterati couldn't hold their excitement at this moment:
Now we have air support near to Nathula Pass, after 20 wing Bagdogra!
Significant development for #Sikkim as first Indian Air Force fixed wing 19 seater aircraft Dornier 228 lands successfully at Pakyong airport today. This is the beginning of aviation connectivity for Sikkim. pic.twitter.com/q5VslQCB5s
— Maverick Here (@abhaytrivedi99) March 6, 2018
Congratulatory messages kept flowing in from various quarters
CONGRATS #SIKKIM: @flyspicejet landed at green field airport, #Pakyong today
Marking a historic first, Spice became the first airline to land a commercial plane at Pakyong’s Greenfield airport.
With this landing #Sikkim will now be connected by air with the rest of the country. pic.twitter.com/rpklBxQu4K
— Darjeeling Chronicle (@TheDarjChron) March 10, 2018
The Sikkim Tourism also congratulated and posted the message on Twitter
Spice jet is scheduled to land at pakyong airport on march 10 2018.
— Sikkim Tourism (@TourismSikkim) March 9, 2018
Here is the video of the successful landing of the flight amid cheers and applause from those present at the airport:
HISTORY CREATED : Amidst applause the Spicejet Q400 Bombardier landed at Pakyong Airport today: https://t.co/xLX4I3JOuG via @YouTube
— I Love Siliguri (@ILoveSiliguri) March 10, 2018
It is definitely a historic moment and development for Sikkim and the successful landing of the airplane is an encouraging sign for the state.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 10, 2018 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).