Air India, Drukair sign interline pact for seamless India-Bhutan travel

Air India and Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines, have signed an interline partnership. The pact lets passengers book combined flights on a single ticket with coordinated baggage transfer through Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The arrangement gives Air India customers access to Paro and onward Bhutanese destinations, and Drukair passengers access to Air India's domestic network including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi, plus international links to Paris, London, New York, San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver.

Nipun Aggarwal, Air India's chief commercial officer, said the partnership strengthens connectivity across the SAARC region, which the carrier considers its extended home market. Tandi Wangchuk, Drukair's chief executive, called it a significant milestone. The agreement is expected to boost tourism and business travel between India and Bhutan. Air India is a Tata group-owned carrier.