Futuristic mindfulness city fuels Bhutan’s ‘fly east’ via Assam

GUWAHATI

Refuelling convenience and faster access to a futuristic urban oasis bordering Assam are factors behind the “fly east” outlook of the Royal Bhutan Airlines via Guwahati.

Drukair, the Himalayan kingdom’s national flag carrier, announced the commencement of its thrice-a-week flight between Paro and Singapore with a stopover at Guwahati’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on Friday. It also announced the reintroduction of the Paro-Guwahati-Bangkok flight, started a decade ago, twice a week.

Aircraft “load penalty” at Paro International Airport, about 50 km from the capital Thimphu, and the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a spiritualism-meets-business special administrative region thrice the size of Singapore, are among the key drivers of this flight service.

“Air connectivity between Bhutan and Assam is meaningful for us because of geography and cultural relations, but flying to and from Guwahati also makes commercial sense because of the load penalty at Paro and India’s push for rail and upgraded road links with Gelephu,” Tandi Wangchuk, Drukair’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), told The Hindu in Guwahati.

Paro Airport limits passenger capacity due to its short runway, surrounding mountains, and an altitude of 7,300 feet above sea level, which reduces the aerodynamic lift generated by the wings and decreases the efficiency of jet engines.

“We cannot carry a full load to and from Paro. Often, aeroplanes land and take off with less fuel due to the load penalty. Since we have been operating Paro-Singapore flights for years, Guwahati is convenient as a stopover to refuel and to pick up additional passengers,” Mr Wangchuk said.

He also said that the expansion of Drukair, which serves 10 international destinations across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West East, aligns with India’s Act East Policy and supports the travel requirements of the 2,500 sq. km GMC.

“India is working on an upgraded four-lane road and a railway line between Guwahati and Gelephu, which is shaping up as a major global sustainable economic hub. The Paro-Guwahati connectivity is convenient for our people and others involved with the GMC project,” Mr Wangchuk said.

It takes about 4 hours to drive from Guwahati Airport to Gelephu in southern Bhutan.

Mr Wangchuk also said Drukair envisages Guwahati Airport as a connectivity companion when Gelephu International Airport becomes operational in three to four years.

Drukair’s Paro-Guwahati-Singapore service starts in April.