Saturday, March 28, 2015

Bhutan's Paro airport's fate in limbo: IAF may relocate

Paro International Airport in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which acts as a global gateway to adjoining eastern India, will start limiting the number of flights from May due to a space crunch, hurting tourism and business prospects in the region.

A plan to expand the airport and its facilities has been stalled, pending the release of funds committed by India and the relocation of an Indian Air Force base from the air field.

"Curtailment of services through the airport will have a negative effect on commercial activity of adjoining Indian area. Paro is only a couple of hours' drive from eastern Indian tourism hubs like Guwahati and Siliguri and we have an open border between the two countries," said tourism consultant R Basu.

Paro airport offers convenient passage for both inbound and outbound tourists in the region, including eastern India. At least 40% of the premium foreign tourists visiting the eastern Himalayan region travel to Bhutan and eastern India, according to Basu, who is based in Siliguri.
28/03/15 Debasis Sarkar/Economic Times
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