Air India, Drukair Enter Interline Partnership For Seamless Travel Across Both Networks

Air India on Wednesday announced an interline partnership with Bhutan’s flag carrier Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines, aimed at providing passengers with smoother connections across the two airlines’ networks. The agreement allows travellers to combine Air India and Drukair flights under a single-ticket itinerary, strengthening air connectivity between India and Bhutan. Air India said the partnership also expands its connectivity across nearly all countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region through its own and partner networks.

Under the interline arrangement, passengers can book journeys involving flights operated by both airlines on a single ticket. The partnership also provides coordinated baggage transfer to the final destination through Air India’s hub at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Travellers will additionally have access to interline fares, giving them greater flexibility when planning journeys involving the two carriers.

The agreement will allow Air India passengers travelling from its international network to reach Bhutan’s Paro airport through Delhi, with onward connections available to destinations including Bumthang, Gelephu and Yonphula. Reciprocally, Drukair passengers will gain access to Air India’s wider domestic network through Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata, with connections to major Indian cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi.

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The partnership also links Bhutanese travellers to several international destinations served through Air India’s network. These include Paris Charles de Gaulle, Colombo, Newark, Frankfurt, New York’s JFK airport, London Heathrow, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto Pearson and Vancouver. The expanded network is expected to provide Drukair passengers with additional options for travelling beyond India to major global markets.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, said the partnership strengthens the airline’s connectivity across the SAARC region, which it considers an extended home market. He described Bhutan as an important part of the region and said the agreement would make access to Bhutan easier for Air India passengers while allowing Drukair customers to connect with the airline’s domestic and international network.

Drukair CEO Tandi Wangchuk described the agreement as a significant milestone for the Bhutanese carrier as it works to expand its global connectivity. The partnership is expected to give Drukair customers smoother journeys, wider access to international markets and improved connections across India and beyond, while giving passengers of both airlines more integrated travel options between the two South Asian neighbours.

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