Air India News: Air India Partners With Drukair to Boost India-Bhutan Connectivity
Air India News
Air India has entered into an interline partnership with Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines to improve air connectivity between India and Bhutan. The agreement will allow passengers to travel more easily across the networks of both airlines and provide better access to several destinations in India, Bhutan and other international markets.
The partnership is expected to make travel more convenient by allowing passengers to book connecting flights through a single ticket. It will also provide coordinated baggage transfer to the final destination when travelling on eligible connecting flights through Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Under the new arrangement, Air India passengers can travel to Paro in Bhutan via Delhi from destinations across Air India’s international network. After reaching Paro, passengers can also connect to Drukair flights serving destinations such as Bumthang, Gelephu and Yonphula.
The partnership is expected to offer passengers more travel options, greater flexibility and competitive interline fares.
For travellers from Bhutan, the agreement provides access to Air India’s extensive network through key Indian cities such as Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. From these cities, passengers can connect to major destinations including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi.
The partnership also gives Drukair passengers greater access to international destinations through Air India’s network.
These destinations include Paris, Colombo, Newark, Frankfurt, New York, London, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver.
This expanded network can make international travel more convenient for passengers from Bhutan who need to connect through India.
Air India said the partnership means it now provides connectivity to nearly all countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region through its own flights or partner airlines.
SAARC includes India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, said the airline considers the SAARC region an extended home market. He said the partnership with Drukair would help strengthen connectivity across the region and make it easier for travellers to visit Bhutan.
Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk also described the agreement as an important step for the airline’s international connectivity.An interline agreement allows two airlines to cooperate on connecting journeys. Passengers can book flights operated by both airlines under a single itinerary, while the airlines can issue and accept tickets for each other’s services.
This arrangement can simplify the travel process because passengers may not need to make separate bookings for connecting flights. Coordinated baggage handling can also make journeys more convenient.
The Air India-Drukair partnership is therefore expected to strengthen India-Bhutan air connectivity while opening more travel options for passengers across South Asia and international markets.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
