Bhutan Airlines launches flights to Delhi on 1 September 2014 with plans for the Singapore and Chinese markets

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Bhutan Airlines operated by Tashi Air launches its first Paro - Delhi commercial flight via Kathmandu on 1 September 2014 using its new Airbus A319 aircraft. On 5 September, it launches its direct flight from Paro to Delhi.

On 1 September, flight B3 704 departs from Paro at 7.45 am and arrives in Delhi at 10.45 am via Kathmandu. It leaves Delhi at 11.45 am and touches down in Paro at 3.10 pm  under B3 705 after a transit flight in Kathmandu. Indirect flights to Delhi operate twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays.

On 5 September, flight B3 773 departs from Paro at 7.30 am and arrives in Delhi at 9.20 am. At 10.20 am it leaves for Paro under B3 774 and touches down in Paro at 1 pm. Direct flights will continue until end of September.

Tashi Air, Bhutan's first private airline,  came into existence after the Tashi Group of Companies outbid other joint venture companies and won the License to operate Airline Service both Domestic and International Sectors from Paro. 

Tashi Group of Companies was founded by Late Dasho Ugen Dorji in 1959 with the vision to bring out the best of Bhutan.

On 4 December 2011, Tashi Group of companies welcomes its first aircraft for its international commercial unit Bhutan Airlines. A Pilatus PC12 with capacity of 8 Passengers for domestic operations in the name of Tashi Air completes its fleet.

Bhutan Airlines launches its international operations on 10 October 2013 with an A320 aircraft with 150 passenger seating capacity, operating a flight from Paro to Bangkok and connecting to Kolkata on 7 December 2013. On the completion of its wet-leased contract with Vilnius-based Small Planet Airlines for the A320 aircraft, Bhutan Airlines replaces the Airbus A320 aircraft with new Airbus A319 comprising a capacity of 122 seats on 1 May 2014 which has been operating weekly flights to Kathmandu since mid-June 2014.

Bhutan Airlines has plans to open indirect flights to Singapore via Dhaka within the next few years after launching flights to Delhi. It has also opened a sales office with a GSA in Chengdu, China with the aim to launch Bhutan's first scheduled flight to China in a few years' time.