 The airport was named "Airport of the Year 2013" by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.Bhadrapur offers a gateway to the eastern Himalayan regions such as Ilam, Taplejung, Panchthar and trekking to the base camp of Kanchanjunga.It is only one and a half hour drive away from the Bagdogra airport and Siliguri.Siliguri being the gateway to Sikkim, Darjeeling and the north-eastern Indian states.