Bagdogra Airport, (IATA: IXB, ICAO: VEBD) is located in the town of Bagdogra, about 16 km (9.9 mi) West of the city of Siliguri in the Darjeeling district in northern West Bengal, India. It is operated as a civil enclave at AFS Bagdogra of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is the gateway airport to the hill station towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, and Kalimpong and the state of Sikkim, and sees thousands of tourists annually. Permits for Foreign tourists intending to journey to Sikkim are issued at this airport. The airport is a major stop in the region with flights connecting Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Guwahati. Air traffic at Bagdogra grew by around 8 percent in 2013. The airport also has regular helicopter flights to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.