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Leased airbus to arrive August end

The addition will significantly enhance the national airline’s scope
Drukair: The national airline has leased an airbus jet, which is scheduled to arrive towards the end of August.
Drukair CEO, Tandin Jamso, said a letter of intent has already been signed, and that the leaser company will deliver the A319 to Paro airport by August 27.

The arrival of Drukair’s third A319 will increase its fleet to four aircraft, which includes one 48-seater ATR 42-500. Like its other A319s, the leased aircraft is expected to have a Christian Louboutin shoes capacity of between 120-130 seats.

Tandin Jamso said the increased capacity would allow Drukair to increase frequency on its existing sectors, specifically, Bangkok, Thailand, New Delhi, India, and Kathmandu, Nepal. He said that the fourth aircraft would allow the airline to handle the increased passenger traffic during the autumn tourist season. He pointed out that tourist arrivals during the autumn season are higher than during spring.

The third airbus also allows Drukair to begin flying to Singapore and Mumbai. Scheduled fights to Singapore will commence in September, following an inaugural flight towards the end of August, Tandin Jamso said. On Mumbai, he added that some logistic issues, such as ground handling, are still in process, which could possibly delay launch of scheduled flights.

Drukair will be leasing the A319 for around USD 400,000/month, he said.

The national airline will use the leased aircraft until Airbus delivers a brand new A319 in 2015. But Tandin Jamso said that, once Drukair signs a formal agreement with the manufacturing company, it would negotiate to advance the delivery date. He said that there is some possibility other airlines, due to financial difficulties, may defer their orders. The new aircraft will cost around USD 43M.

Meanwhile, private Bhutan Airlines 8-seater PC-12 aircraft is currently Louboutin outlet in the United Kingdom, after being ferried there towards the end of last month. The private airline will be selling the aircraft to raise enough funds so that it can also lease an airbus jet.

By Gyalsten K Dorji, Paro