Royal Bhutan carrier Drukair has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Airbus A320neo and A321XLR aircraft as it looks to expand its fleet and network.
The MoU covers three A320neo and two A321XLR will add to Druk Air’s existing fleet of four A320 family aircraft.
Druk Air operates out of Paro International, one of the worlds most dangerous airports due its location in a valley surrounded by mountains making Airbus’ safety features and fly-by-wire systems crucial to safe operation of airliners.
Tandi Wangchuk, Drukair CEO said, “We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter in Drukair’s history, which dovetails perfectly with development of the Gelephu Mindfulness City and work to expand the Gelephu airport. Our investment in these state-of-the-art aircraft underscores our dedication to supporting Bhutan’s vision of holistic and mindful development.”
Executive Vice President Sales of Airbus Commercial Aircraft business Benoît de Saint-Exupéry added: “We are grateful to Drukair for reaffirming their trust in Airbus to power their next phase of growth. Airbus has been a long-standing partner of Bhutan and we are extremely proud that our latest generation aircraft will be a part of the Kingdom’s next chapter of development, connecting the Gelephu Mindfulness City to the rest of the world.”
The A321XLR, which has just received EASA certification, will also give Drukair the option to expand its network to longer-haul destinations.