Pilot Project: National airline Drukair will conduct some charter flights to Tokyo, Japan in August this year. The airline’s commercial manager, Tshering Penjore said that seven to eight charter flights would be conducted as part of a pilot project.
Drukair, along with the tourism council of Bhutan, had held a promotional fair in Japan in January this year. Tshering Penjore said that in addition to the promotional fair, Their Majesties the King and the Gyaltsen visit the island nation, which had created much interest among Japanese to visit Bhutan.
Japanese tour companies had also expressed their desire for a direct air link between Bhutan and Japan, said Tshering Penjore.
As a result, some Japanese tour groups have chartered Drukair’s Airbus jet in August. Drukair will fly to Tokyo via Bangkok, Thailand and Taipei, Taiwan. As the aircraft will be flying empty to Tokyo to pick up the Japanese tourists, Tshering Penjore said the airline is considering selling seats to local passengers wishing to travel the route in August.
Tshering Penjore said that the charter flights to Japan could become an annual event if the pilot run is successful. He added that scheduled services were not being considered currently. In September, Drukair also expects a third Airbus jet, which will allow it to connect to Mumbai, India, and Singapore.
