Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for three A320neo and two A321XLR aircraft as it seeks to expand its international network.

Deliveries of the new aircraft are expected to begin by 2030.

Drukair plans to fly its impending acquisitions from Paro International Airport and the new airport at the country’s upcoming economic hub Gelephy Mindfulness City (GMC.)

Currently, Drukair operates four Airbus A320 Family aircraft, specifically three A319s and one A320.

The airline’s headquarters are in Paro, Bhutan where it operates scheduled flights to 10 international destinations, including five countries in the South Asian region.

Drukair also flies to three domestic destinations.

A new chapter

Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk said of the purchase: “We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter in Drukair’s history, which dovetails perfectly with development of the Gelephu Mindfulness City and work to expand the Gelephu airport. Our investment in these state-of-the-art aircraft underscores our dedication to supporting Bhutan’s vision of holistic and mindful development.”

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus’ executive vice-president of sales, expressed his gratitude for Drukair’s trust in the company, particularly as it is poised for expansion.

He said: “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.”

Both locations are key to Drukair’s expanded connectivity to Australia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.