Drukair - Royal Bhutan Airlines, the main airline operator in the Kingdom of Bhutan, has ordered an Airbus A319 with Sharklets wings. It will join the other two already existing in the fleet. The deal was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2012.
Without the sea and surrounded only by mountains, the kingdom of Bhutan is a challenge for air services. Bhutan is located at a rather high altitude, the center of the country being in the Lower Himalayas, with altitudes between 2000 and 5000 meters. The highest point is the Gangkhar Puensum peak, 7,570m. The altitude of the country decreases to the south, where are the Siwalik Mountains, which grow tropical forests. The altitude continues to decline, here being the Duars hills and below the Ganges-Brahmaputra Plain.
Paro Airport is the only international airport and is at an altitude of 2.200m, which is a challenge for airline pilots. It can only be reached using Visual Flight Rules (VFR) technology and with optimal aircraft for such flights.
Introducing the new Airbus A319 into the fleet will allow the airline to expand its network to new destinations, such as Singapore and Hong Kong.