FARNBOROUGH, UK, 24 July 2024: Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan and a wholly owned subsidiary of Druk Holding and Investments Limited (DHI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus to expand its fleet with three A320neo and two A321XLR aircraft.
The new aircraft will begin delivery in 2030. The airline plans to fly these aircraft out of Paro International Airport and the new airport at Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), which is envisioned to become Bhutan’s futuristic economic hub. Drukair plans to expand its connectivity to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Drukair already operates four Airbus A320 Family aircraft consisting of three A319s and one A320.
Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk said: “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.
Drukair is headquartered in Paro, Bhutan, and operates scheduled flights to 10 international destinations, including five countries in the South Asian region. Drukair also operates to three domestic destinations.
The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo Family, offering new-generation engines and Sharklets that ensure a 50% noise reduction, more than 20% fuel savings, and CO₂ reduction compared to previous-generation single-aisle aircraft.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A320neo that delivers an unprecedented extra long range of up to 4,700nm – 15% more range than the A321LR.
