"Druk Air's flights to Paro, the only commercial airport in Bhutan, 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. Due to the difficult conditions, operations with the older Dornier 228s caused many delays and diversions. With the growth of traffic and the expansion of flights the need for a larger aircraft became necessary. After conducting numerous tests taking into account the difficult conditions the British Aerospace BAe 146-100 was selected and started operations in November 1988. Soon after its introduction the Druk Air network linked Paro with New-Delhi, Bangkok and Kathmandu. Starting with two destinations in 1983 Druk Air now operates from Paro four times a week to Bangkok and Calcutta, twice to Kathmandu and Delhi and once a week to Yangon.

DRUK AIR ROUTE MAP

Maybe the smallest national carrier in the world, Druk-Air has a fleet of two BAe-146 aircraft. The hostesses are trained by Thai Airways International to give the airline its credibility and charm." (Druk Air)

Druk Air is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Established by a Royal Proclamation on 5 April 1981, it began operations on 14 January 1983. Traffic growth eventually led to the need for a larger aircraft, and the BAe 146-100 was selected due to its ability to operate into the tight confines of Bhutan's Paro Airport, which is located in a deep valley at 7,333 feet above sea level and is surrounded by hills as high as 16,000 feet. An order for a single BAe 146-100 was placed in October 1988. The aircraft, registered A5-RGD, was delivered on 16 November and placed into service on Druk Air's routes to Calcutta and Dhaka. A second series 100 was delivered in December 1992. The 146s allowed additional services to be introduced to New Delhi, Bangkok, and Kathmandu. Yangon was also served briefly. In addition to the scheduled international services, Druk Air's 146s also operate weekly sight-seeing flights over the Himalayas from October to March. Druk Air's 146s are fitted with 10 business class and 62 economy class seats.

Druk Air placed the first order for the new Avro RJX derivative in April 2000, with an order for two Avro RJX-85s. The RJX-85s would have allowed the airline to operated non-stop services to Bangkok (currently served via Calcutta or Dhaka) and Hong Kong. Cancellation of the RJX places the airline in a quandary, as no other type has the requisite mix of short-field performance, capacity, and range.

During 2000-2001, Druk Air forced to operate with a single aircraft for over a year when A5-RGD was found to have corrosion in its wing tanks during a check at Woodford and had to have her wings replaced. In 2002, an RJ70 was wet-leased from airBaltic to cover for maintenance to A5-RGE.

Current Fleet: A5-RGD E1099; A5-RGE E1199; YL-BAK E1223.

Druk Air has signed the purchase agreement for two Airbus 319 aircraft . The first Airbus 319 is expected to reach Paro by October 2004 and the second aircraft two months later.

Bhutanese pilgrims who want to avoid the hassles of a road or train journey to Bodhgaya, India, now have the option of flying there. Druk air will fly to Gaya once a week starting November 11, 2004. Druk Air is introducing a direct flight from Paro to Gaya, about seven kilometres from Bodhgaya, starting November 11 coinciding with the birth anniversary of His Majesty the King. Bodhgaya is one of the holiest sites for buddhists all over the world.

The one hour ten minute flight will operate once a week at a discounted round fare rate of Nu 5,348 a person."If the number of people flying to Bodhgaya picks up we might increase the flight schedule to twice a week," said Druk Air's general manager (commercial). "We will then fly on Tuesdays and Fridays." The Nu 5,348 airfare was a promotional fare to attract customers during the winter months from November to mid-February. "We are targeting government employees and businessmen who have limited time to visit Bodhgaya," Druk Air said. Bus or train journeys take between two to three days from the border town of Phuentsholing to Bodhgaya. More than 30,000 to 40,000 people travel to Bodhgaya every year.

BAGGAGE RESTRICTION
Accompanied baggage from Bangkok and Dhaka is restricted to 20 Kgs above normal allowance subject to 2 suitcase-sized pieces per passenger. Normal excess baggage rates will apply for this allowance. Further, bulky items like TV's etc will not be accepted as accompanied baggage. Passengers are requested to book anything additional as checked baggage (Cargo).

Flight Calendar
Flight Times
Route Map
Seating Charts for BAE 146-100 and Airbus 319

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