New Delhi, Jan. 6: Delhi-based Punj Lloyd Group has bagged the contract to build Sikkim’s greenfield airport in Pakyong.

The central government had in October approved the construction of a greenfield airport in the Himalayan state. The new airport at Pakyong will have a 1,700-metre-long runway, two parking bays and a capacity to handle 100 passengers — 50 arriving and 50 departing — at a time.

The airport, which is 30km from state capital Gangtok, will be run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and will be built at 1,404m above sea level.

Pakyong airport will allow twin-engine ATR planes to operate. The Planning Commission has set aside Rs 316 crore in the 11th Five Year Plan. The Sikkim cabinet had also sanctioned Rs 50 crore as the first installment for the project.

Earlier, the AAI had been entrusted with preparing a detailed project report of the airport and carrying out the construction. The state government had already acquired land for the project.

To protect the environment and stop soil erosion, excavated slopes of 100m height will be planted with local species of trees. Sikkim is a land-locked state with no air and rail connectivity. National Highway 31A is the only road that connects the state to rest of the country.

Currently, Sikkim has a Pawan Hans helicopter service between Gangtok and Bagdogra, its nearest airport in Bengal.

The country has 133 airports including 14 international airports besides the two greenfield airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore. According to the civil aviation ministry, India will have 35 greenfield airports by 2010.