Bhutan Airlines announces flights to UAE with layover in Dhaka
Dhaka: Bhutan Airlines will be launching flights between Bhutan and the United Arab Emirates in January, 2024. The announcement was made during the airline’s 10th anniversary celebration in Thimphu.
The proposed route aims to streamline travel to Bhutan for Western travellers, particularly those residing or passing through the Gulf Cooperation Council region, reducing their overall travel time significantly.
Speaking on the occasion, Pema Nadik, CEO, Bhutan Airlines, said, “We are confident that this new routing to Bhutan will make visiting our country even more appealing to American travellers.”
The move will mark the first air connectivity between the UAE and Bhutan with schedule commercial flights.
Private carrier Bhutan Airlines will operate twice weekly flights between Paro and Sharjah by A319-115 with a brief layover in Dhaka. During the layover, passengers will not be required to leave the plane.
As landing at Paro International Airport requires more than the usual precision and skill due to the airport’s location between two Himalayan escarpments, only Bhutanese-trained pilots are permitted to fly into Paro.
It may be mentioned here that visitors can apply for a visa to Bhutan online at USD 40 or via agents and processing takes about five days. Visitors are charged Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee of USD 100 per person per night.
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