New Delhi, July 21 -- In a written reply to a question raised by Sikkim's Rajya Sabha MP Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that no scheduled commercial flights have been operating from Pakyong Airport since June 2024.

Responding to the query on the operational status of the airport, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, clarified that while Pakyong Airport remains a licensed and operational Visual Flight Rules (VFR) aerodrome under the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the resumption of flight services is contingent upon decisions made by airline operators.

"Indian domestic aviation is deregulated, and airline companies are free to decide on routes and markets based on their commercial an...