Bagdogra Airport

The well developed road and rail network of Jalpaiguri district is buoyed up by the presence of Bagdogra Airport (IATA: IXB) in Siliguri, about 50 km from Jalpaiguri. The distance can be traversed smoothly as the road interlinking Bagdogra and Jalpaiguri is a very developed stretch. The Bagdogra Airport is a military airport which is also open for civilian airlines. The Bagdogra Airport is situated about 16 km from Siliguri city within the Darjeeling district, West Bengal.

This domestic and international airport in Bagdogra near Siliguri and Jalpaiguri is a blessing for thousands of tourists who annually visit the eastern Himalayan hill stations like Darjeeling, Mirik, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Gangtok and other north-eastern hill ranges. Its flights which connect metropolitan cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai as well as Bangalore and Guwahati ensures a smooth passage for all high end travellers visiting for business and commercial purposes.

In addition Bagdogra airport is serviced by an aerodrome which conducts regular helicopter flights to nearby Gangtok, or the Sikkim capital. For foreigners who want to travel to Sikkim, make sure you are validated with foreign tourist permits. Resident Indians are advised to carry some identification documents like voter card, ration card, driving license or others which proves your Indian identity.

The Bagdogra airport was originally an Indian Air Force base. Due to the starting and pressure of civilian flights, this base has almost been shifted to nearby Hasimara Air Force Base. Now it is mostly a civil airport with a limited air force activity. As a major stop for all travellers, numerous flights operate daily from the Bagdogra airport. Presently it has become an international airport with direct flights to Paro in Bhutan and Bangkok. Some of the airlines which operate here are Air India, Spicejet, Jet Connect, Go Air and Druk Air with flights to Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, Paro and Bangkok. Besides direct flights to 2 international and 3 domestic destinations, travellers from other cities can also fly here with one stop over. Bagdogra airport also has chopper services from its aerodrome base to the nearby capital of Sikkim, Gangtok.

The Bagdogra airport has recently been acknowledged as an international airport by the civil aviation ministry. As a result, numerous facilities and up gradation has been made to the exisiting airport base. As per recent information, Bagdogra airport runway has been granted night landing facilities by the Indian Air Force till 10 pm.  Subsequently all commercial airlines which cater to passengers across north Bengal, Sikkim as well as parts of Bihar are operating night flights. It has given a great boost to the tourism industry.

The Bagdogra airport is equipped with all facilities to make your journey from the airport comfortable. There are toilets in the arrival lounge, Sikkim and West Bengal Tourism counters with pocket guides, pocket map, literature about travel bookings and hotels, restaurants where you can have delectable meals, pre-paid taxi counters as well as currency exchange booth. Besides these, there are a number of airline counters, a coffee shop and assistance booth for arriving passengers. At the exit gate, numerous drivers are waiting to take you to your destination at negotiable rates.

If you want to avoid the winding four and a half hours journey to Gangtok by car, you can also opt for the helicopter service which takes only 35 minutes to reach the capital of Sikkim. The helicopter service has been made possible by the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation and can take 5 passengers at a time. There are two daily flights either way. For this, the tourist has to book in advance at the STDC number (03592- 203960) to check availability details.

So have a wonderful journey to your destination and explore all the fascinating sights and sounds of the Eastern Himalayas.