Drukair to fly from Bagdogra - Airbase stopover for international flights
Siliguri, Feb.5: Come March 29, the Bagdogra Airport will see for the first time an international flight landing and taking off.
Drukair, the Royal Bhutan Airlines, has chosen the airport for a stopover of its flights from Bhutan to Bangkok and back. “We are pleased to inform you that taking our cordial relations with India a little further, Drukair, the national airlines of Bhutan, will operate its services from Bagdogra. Our first flight from here to Bangkok will be on March 29 and we are eagerly looking forward for that day when we will see our flag fluttering at this airport,” Tshering Penjore, the general-manager of the airlines said at Bagdogra today.
An agreement with the civil aviation ministry of India last year allows the airline to operate its services from Bagdogra. Penjore was part of a four-member team from the Drukair that inspected the aerodrome today. “This is a strategic location sharing proximity to Nepal, Bangladesh and China. It has prospects as a regional hub for Saarc activities in future,” said Penjore.
The airline will operate out of Bagdogra four days a week. “While flights from Bhutan will land and take off in Bagdogra - en route to Bangkok - on Tuesday and Saturday, those from the Thai capital will arrive on Sunday and Wednesday. We will use an Airbus with 30 seats in first class and 94 in economy class. As we are not here with any commercial interest, there will be services even with a single passenger on board,” he added.
The airline said the flights would help promote tourism in north Bengal and Bhutan. Penjore also said the flights from Paro (the only airport in Bhutan) to Bagdogra would take only 30 minutes, whereas the time for travel by road from one place to the other would be 14-15 hours.
Welcoming the new airline, the airport authority officials at Bagdogra said arrangements would be made soon to upgrade the airport to one with international standard. “Immigration and customs facilities will be set up soon before the airline starts operating from here. After that, we hope other neighbouring countries, too, will opt for Bagdogra for flight service,” said K.K. Bhowmik, the airport director.
Bagdogra, the only functional airport in the state apart from Dum Dum, is an Indian Air Force base with limited access for civilians. Squadron Leader, IAF, A.A. Khan, said as the ministry of aviation had given its permission, they had no objection, but there were some formalities which needed to be fulfilled.
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