Drukair (KB, Paro) has signed a Letter of Intent with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) for three A320-200Ns and two A321-200NY(XLR)s to expand its international network.
A statement issued during the 2024 Farnborough Air Show said deliveries are planned to begin only in 2030. The state-owned Bhutanese flag carrier will deploy them out of the country's only existing international airport, Paro, as well as Gelephu airport, which will serve the under-construction special economic zone near the border with India. While Paro is located deep in the Himalayas and is known for its notoriously difficult conditions, Gelephu is in a much more accessible location. Drukair said it would use the new aircraft to connect the new gateway with Europe, South-East Asia, and Australia.
Drukair currently operates three A319-100s, one A320-200N, and one ATR42-600. The airline's only medium-haul destinations currently are Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Singapore Changi. Flights to Thailand operate both directly and via Bagdogra in India, while services to Singapore are flown exclusively via Guwahati due to operational restrictions at Paro.
