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| Flight News |
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| 16 February 2012 |
| Drukair buys third airbus |
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National airline Drukair has ordered a third airbus jet.
But with a long waiting list for the popular A319 jet, Drukair will take delivery of the aircraft only in 2015, the airline's marketing head, Sonam Wangchuk said.
Drukair has purchased a third aircraft to allow expansion of its route network. The airline added Singapore and the Indian city of Mumbai, as new sectors, beginning May 2012.
Until the new aircraft arrives, Drukair will lease an A319. The leased aircraft is expected to arrive only in September, which means that the new sectors of Singapore and Mumbai will also be postponed until then, said Sonam Wangchuk. The leased aircraft was initially supposed to arrive in April, allowing for a May expansion of routes.
While Drukair will be purchasing the same type of aircraft it currently operates, the new aircraft will be slightly different as they will be fitted with blended winglets that airbus calls 'sharklets'. A blended winglet is a device fitted to the end of wing to improve the aircraft's efficiency, such as reducing fuel consumption.
The airline's current airbus aircraft are equipped with wingtip fences, which is a variant of a winglet.
An airbus press release states that the new 'sharklets' will allow Drukair to expand to new markets in the most fuel efficient way. It stated that the 'sharklets' would reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5 percent, a reduction equivalent to the carbon dioxide produced by around 200 cars annually.
| Source: Gyalsten K Dorji,KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2012 |
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| 11 April 2012 |
| Drukair charter flights to Tokyo |
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Pilot Project: National airline Drukair will conduct a number of 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 Gyaltsuen's visit to the island nation 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 are not being considered currently.
In September, Drukair also expects a third airbus jet, which will allow it to connect to Mumbai, India, and Singapore.
| Source: Gyalsten K Dorji,KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2012 |
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| April 2012 |
| Gelephu Airport |
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Opening put off by a week due to rupee crunch
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Gelephu domestic airport's inauguration has been pushed to May first week, from the scheduled April 30, department of civil aviation's director general Phala Dorji said in a telephonic interview yesterday.
Unlike the Bumthang and Yonphula domestic airport constructions, the Gelephu airport construction was well on track so far, but the recent rupee crunch delayed the project's progress for about a month, said project manager for Gelephu airport, Gyem Dorji, said.
"The contractor could not start off the black topping work on time, because he couldn't send the demand draft for bitumen without the rupees," Gyem Dorji said. "Otherwise, the levelling and compression work of the runway was completed by the last week of February."
Black topping of the 1,500m long runway requires 1,000 metric tonnes of bitumen, he said.
It costs Nu 8,000 a barrel, which contains 150kg of bitumen, including transportation charges.
But with the project now issued rupees, it received its first stock of bitumen, 100MT from Guwahati yesterday, to start off with the black topping. Works will begin today.
While the terminal buildings and concrete fencing walls surrounding the airport and other remaining works would continue as per schedule, the levelling of earth surrounding the runway would be done only when they have the budget.
Gelephu domestic airport, with a 1,500m long runway, is likely to extend to 2,000m ,and later upgraded to an international airport.
"If everything goes well like it's today, we'd be able to inaugurate the runway by the first week of May," DCA's director general Phala Dorji said.
| Source: Dawa Gyelmo, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2012 |
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| June 2012 |
| No more Drukair flights to Yonphula … for now |
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The state of the runway poses a safety risk; Batpalathang (Bumthang) may be next
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In a setback to domestic air services, the national airline Drukair has suspended flights to Yonphula airport, as a result of safety concerns, given the deteriorating surface condition of the runway there.Drukair is also awaiting a safety report of the Batpalathang runway, to determine whether it will continue flying to Bumthang.
An inspection team found cracks developing, and pebbles coming loose on the surface of the Yonphula runway, earlier this month.The team, comprising the department of civil aviation (DCA), Drukair, and COSCAP (Co-operative development of operational safety and continuing airworthiness programme) officials, also found cracks and "pea-sized" gravel coming loose on the Batpalathang runway.
Despite the reported conditions, DCA did not suspend domestic flight operations.It did, however, introduce measures at both airports that included daily inspections and instructions to ‘sweep’ or remove dislodged or loosened pebbles and gravel.This measure would be in place until the runways are repaired or resurfaced.
However, Drukair CEO Tandin Jamso, said that safety is still a concern.He said that Drukair’s safety and quality officers, who were included in the inspecting team, observed and reported that the Yonphula runway is "unsafe".
He pointed out that dislodged stones or pebbles mean that gaps or holes are being created, which, in turn means that sharp edges will exist.He added that, as the Yonphula runway is short and requires a precise landing, a harder than normal touchdown is carried out by the airline’s ATR 42-500 aircraft.With sharp edges, a hard landing could lead to a tire puncture, he said.
In an earlier interview with DCA senior aerodrome officer, Sangay Wangdi, it was also pointed out that the aircraft’s engine propeller blades could sustain damage, as a result of loose material on the runway.
Tandin Jamso also said that concerns about the rough nature of the Yonphula runway surface had also been expressed prior to the inspection.He pointed out that the runway has not been resurfaced since it was built in the 1950s, and that it should receive one more layer. "Over a period of time, it could lead to a safety issue," he said, if not resurfaced.
Only 700m of the 1,300m runway received major repairs in the lead up to domestic air services launch in December last year.The remaining portion did not receive major repair work, because of lack of funds.This portion is the area the cracks and dislodged pebbles have been discovered.
Tandin Jamso said that Drukair is aware of the budget constraints. "But from the safety point of view, we can’t compromise," he said.He added that, given that this is the lean tourist season, and with monsoon weather conditions at Yonphula not always adequate for flight operations, suspension of air services provides DCA with the "perfect opportunity" to address the runway surface conditions, before the next tourist season beginning September.
"We’re already getting a lot of queries and bookings for that, so it’s a concern that we have that, during the peak season, if (the runway) isn’t ready, then we wouldn’t be able to fulfill those requirements of those tour operators bookings," he said.
Drukair will continue operating to Batpalathang airport for now.But Tandin Jamso said that there are "some concerns" about the Batpalathang runway as well.He said that further operations to the airport will be determined by another runway surface condition report it expects from DCA.
DCA informed this paper last week that the inspection team determined that a layer of asphalt concrete is required for Batpalathang, and that, without it, the runway is not expected to last beyond the present monsoon.
On the nearly completed Gelephu airport, Tandin Jamso said that it is hoped that the runway is allowed an adequate time to set.He added that the present problems, being experienced, are also a result of being in a "hurry".
Based on information provided by DCA to this paper last week, the information and communications ministry has instructed DCA carry out "patchwork" of critical areas of the Yonphula runway by June-July.As of last week, DCA was looking for available budget.
The officiating head of DCA could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, the country’s first privately owned aircraft belonging to Tashi Air pvt ltd’s Bhutan Airlines, left the country on Wednesday.It has been ferried to the UK to be sold in order to raise enough funds, so that the airline can commence international services by October-November.
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But with the project now issued rupees, it received its first stock of bitumen, 100MT from Guwahati yesterday, to start off with the black topping. Works will begin today.
While the terminal buildings and concrete fencing walls surrounding the airport and other remaining works would continue as per schedule, the levelling of earth surrounding the runway would be done only when they have the budget.
Gelephu domestic airport, with a 1,500m long runway, is likely to extend to 2,000m ,and later upgraded to an international airport.
"If everything goes well like it's today, we'd be able to inaugurate the runway by the first week of May," DCA's director general Phala Dorji said.
| Source: Gyalsten K Dorji, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2012 |
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| June 2012 |
| Year-end charter flights to South Korea likely |
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National airline Drukair may conduct a number of charter flights to South Korea, towards the end of this year.
Drukair CEO, Tandin Jamso, said that chartered flights to the east Asian country are being contemplated.He said that Drukair is studying the South Korean market, and also receiving feedback from tour operators there.
He said that, if the traffic is significant, Drukair would work closely with South Korean tour operators to conduct charter flights.
Bhutan had 407 South Korean visitors in 2011, a 124 percent growth from the previous year, according to the Bhutan tourism monitor annual report 2011.
The chartered flights, if found feasible, are most likely to occur in December.
This market strategy follows a decision to carry out up to seven charted flights to Tokyo, Japan in August this year.A total of 3,943 Japanese visited Bhutan, last year.Compared to 2010, this represented a 33 percent growth.
Chartered flights will also be carried out to Bangalore, India, upon acquiring a third airbus jet, prior to launching scheduled services in 2013.
Meanwhile, Tandin Jamso pointed out that Drukair is still negotiating with some companies over leasing its third airbus jet. He said that the airline expects it to arrive in August.
| Source: Gyalsten K Dorji, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2012 |
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