Travel to Bhutan gets easier as Air India, Drukair sign interline pact

Air India and Bhutan's national carrier Drukair on Wednesday announced an interline partnership that would improve connectivity between India, Bhutan and international destinations.

Under the agreement, passengers can book combined Air India-Drukair journeys on a single ticket, with baggage and passenger transfers coordinated through Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The partnership will allow Air India passengers to travel to Bhutan's Paro airport via Delhi from destinations across its international network.

They can also take onward Drukair flights from Paro to Bumthang, Gelephu and Yonphula within Bhutan.

Drukair passengers, meanwhile, will get access through Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata to Air India's domestic network, including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi.

They will also be able to connect to several international destinations served by Air India, including Paris, Colombo, Newark, Frankfurt, New York, London, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver.

The airlines said the agreement will offer competitive interline fares and greater flexibility for passengers while supporting tourism and business travel between the two countries.

"Our partnership with Drukair reinforces our commitment to strengthening connectivity across the SAARC region, which we consider our extended home market," Air India Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal said.

"Bhutan is a valued part of this region, and we are happy to enable easy access to Bhutan for our guests and look forward to welcoming Drukair's passengers onto Air India's extensive domestic and global network," he said.

Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk said the partnership would help the airline strengthen its global connectivity and improve the travel experience for its passengers.

"Through this interline partnership with Air India, our customers will benefit from seamless journeys, expanded access to key international markets, and improved connectivity across India and beyond," he said.

Tata group-owned Air India said it now provides seamless connectivity to nearly all countries in the SAARC region through its own or partner network.

Apart from India and Bhutan, other countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.