DRUK AIR (Royal Bhutan Airlines)

Druk Air is the national carrier of the Royal Government of Bhutan operating with two Bae146-100 series and two A319.

This National Flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan was established by a Royal Proclamation on the 05th of April, 1981. The commencement of Druk Air’s operation began on January 14th 1983 when the German manufactured 18 passenger Dornier 228-200 touched down at Paro airport bearing the National Flag of the Kingdom of Bhutan. With Dornier fleet, Druk Air operated to Kolkatta in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Paro is the only airport in the Kingdom which is located in a deep valley at an elevation of 7300 ft above sea level. The surrounding hills are high as 16,000 ft and approach into Paro airport is entirely by visual flight rules. After conducting numerous tests taking into account the difficult operating conditions the British Aerospace BAe 146-100 was selected and started operations in November 1988. Within a short span of its introduction the network of Druk Air increased link to Paro with New-Delhi, Bangkok and Kathmandu from two destinations in 1983. Today Druk Air operates from Paro five times a week to Bangkok and Kolkatta, thrice a week to Kathmandu and Delhi and once a week to Dhaka and Yangon (Dhaka and Yangon flights are temporarily suspended).

Maybe the smallest national carrier in the world, Druk-Air has a fleet of two BAe-146 and two A319 aircrafts after the induction of Airbus A319 on 31st October 2004. An international flight crew and air hostesses trained by Thai Airways International give the airline its credibility and charm.

Druk-Air is the only airline that serves Paro. So all visitors to Bhutan by air are initiated into the kingdom in its care. The flight into Paro is one of the most spectacular in the world. Whether flying along the Himalayan range from Katmandu or over the foothills from Kolkatta or Dhaka, each flight is mesmerizing aeronautical feat and offers an exciting descent into the kingdom.

BHUTAN AIRLINES

First Private Airline of Bhutan which is a part of Tashi Group and is a subsidiary of Tashi Air. Bhutan Airlines is expected to resume services on 10 October 2013, entering the international market while continuing to suspend all domestic operations. Flights to Kolkata and continuing on to Bangkok will be the first, using their newly acquired Airbus A320 aircraft. They have been required to resume domestic flights next October, per an agreement with the Government of Bhutan.

Bhutan Airlines serves Jakar, Paro and Trashigang in Bhutan. Kolkata in India and Bangkok in Thailand. The airline is currently awaiting clearance to operate flights to Bagdogra, India, within the coming months. Other planned destinations include Dhaka, Singapore, and Hong Kong, with Kathmandu and Dubai as long-term goals.