Sherab Lhamo
Bhutan’s national airline, Drukair, is planning to spread its wings to soar into new international skies.
Drukair signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus on July 22 to acquire three A320neo and two A321XLR aircraft in a bid to expand its routes to new international destinations.
The MoU was signed at the Farnborough Air Show in England led by Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk, Chief Pilot Yab Dasho Dhondup Gyaltshen, and members of the Drukair board.
Airbus is a European aerospace and defense company that designs, manufactures, and delivers aircraft, space systems, and related services.
With the delivery of the aircrafts anticipated to start in 2030, Drukair will be flying to new destinations in Europe, South East Asia and Australia.
Drukair plans to fly out of Paro International Airport and the new international airport in the planned Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).
In a press statement released by Airbus, Drukair CEO, Tandi Wangchuk, said this dovetails perfectly with the development of the GMC and the works to expand the Gelephu airport. “Drukair’s investment in these aircrafts underscores our dedication to supporting Bhutan’s vision of holistic and mindful development.”
The Executive Vice President Sales of Airbus Commercial Aircraft business, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, said Airbus is grateful to Drukair for reaffirming its trust in Airbus to power their next phase of growth. “Airbus has been a long-standing partner of Bhutan and we are extremely proud that our latest generation aircraft will be a part of the Kingdom’s next chapter of development, connecting the Gelephu Mindfulness City to the rest of the world.”
Drukair currently operates four Airbus A320 Family aircrafts, consisting of three A319s and one A320.
Drukair operates in nine international destinations, of which five countries are in the South Asian region, including New Delhi, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Bodh Gaya, and Kolkata in India, Kathmandu in Nepal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, Bangkok in Thailand, and Singapore.
As per Airbus’s press release, the A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ best-selling A320neo family, offering unparalleled range and performance.
The A321neo boasts of 50 percent noise reduction and more than 20 percent fuel saving and carbon dioxide reduction. It also maximises passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky.
The A321XLR offers unprecedented range and fuel efficiency with an extra long range of up to 4,700nm (Nautical Mile) and 30 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft, with reduced nitrogen oxide emissions and noise.
The A321XLR offers passengers a spacious airspace cabin, offering seats in all classes with the same high-comfort as on a long-haul wide-body, with the low costs of a single-aisle aircraft, according to the press release.
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