Air India today announced it has entered into an interline agreement with Drukair, Bhutan's national carrier. According to reports from ET Now, the partnership aims to enhance seamless travel convenience and strengthen network connectivity between India, Bhutan, and beyond. Under the agreement, passengers can book Air India and Drukair flights under a single-ticket itinerary, with coordinated baggage and passenger transfer through to the final destination via Air India's hub at Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport. The partnership was officially announced on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, as reported by Upstox News Desk, and enables passengers to benefit from a single-ticket itinerary combining Air India and Drukair flights, ensuring a seamless end-to-end travel experience. Drukair's chief executive officer Tandi Wangchuk described the agreement as marking a milestone in the airline's efforts to expand global connectivity and improve the passenger experience, stating that "the partnership is expected to support both tourism and business travel by reducing the friction involved in connecting across India and Bhutan."
The partnership enables Air India passengers to travel to Paro, via Delhi from across the airline's expanding international network. As reported by ET Now, it provides convenient onward connections within Bhutan, from Paro to Bumthang, Gelephu, and Yonphula. For Drukair passengers, the arrangement offers access via Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata to Air India's extensive domestic network, including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi. They will also be able to connect to major international destinations such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Colombo, Newark, Frankfurt, New York (JFK), London (Heathrow), Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto Pearson, and Vancouver. The interline collaboration also offers coordinated baggage transfer to the final destination via Air India's hub at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and competitive interline fares, providing travellers enhanced flexibility, improved connectivity, and greater overall value. For travellers, the biggest change is simple: more destinations, one booking and fewer pieces of the journey to juggle.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, stated that the partnership reinforces their commitment to strengthening connectivity across the SAARC region, which they consider their extended home market. According to ET Now, Aggarwal emphasized that "Bhutan is a valued part of this region, and we are happy to enable easy access to Bhutan for our guests and look forward to welcoming Drukair's passengers onto Air India's extensive domestic and global network." The arrangement will offer competitive interline fares, providing travellers enhanced flexibility, improved connectivity, and greater overall value. Wangchuk emphasized that "Through this interline partnership with Air India, our customers will benefit from seamless journeys, expanded access to key international markets, and improved connectivity across India and beyond." The partnership is expected to support tourism and business travel by improving passenger access between India, Bhutan and international markets.
Drukair's current August 2026 schedule shows daily flights between Delhi and Paro, with seven departures a week in each direction. The airline also operates select flights linking Paro with Kolkata and Guwahati. Air India does not operate a direct flight to Bhutan, and its passengers will use Drukair-operated sectors under the new interline arrangement. The partnership will provide coordinated baggage handling and passenger transfers until the final destination, ensuring seamless journey continuity for all passengers. With this partnership, Air India offers connectivity to nearly all countries in the SAARC region through its own or partner network, as stated by the domestic airline. The SAARC region includes India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
