|  Bagdogra
Bagdogra is the most important airport in
the North-East Himalayas and only airport in North Bengal and
Sikkim. It has immense importance
for the tourism in the Eastern Himalayas. The Airport is located
just 18kms from Siliguri, the gateway
to East India.
 Currently
Indian Airlines and Jet Airways are operating daily flights
from Bagdogra to New Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.
The area was mostly forest land which was
converted into tea gardens by the British. With the Tea gardens
came the Adivasis (aborigins) who would work in the gardens.
The town Bagdogra has developed around the
airport and the local tea gardens played an important role in
the development of this area. After independence the significance
of the area increased several fold as a connector to North-East
India. Realizing the geographical and security importance of
Bagdogra, the Defence Ministry set up a small airport in Bagdogra.
Civilian aircrafts are also allowed in this airport. In the
recent past the civilian tarmac has been rebuilt. There is a
demand by the tourism industry of the region to convert the
airport into an international one. |
