The new longer runway for the Gelephu Airport will run parallel to the existing one and will extend towards Sarpang (and not towards Mao Khola). The runway will pass over Paitha Khola river and Aiepoli river. Land needed for this has been acquired and finalised, as per the reports.
The 3,000 metres runway and the new Terminal Building and associated infrastructure are estimated to cost around Nu. 20 billion – and will be able to accommodate the Airbus a320 family and Airbus a350.
The existing airport with its small terminal building and the 1500m runway, while serving the domestic flights, will also cater to regional flights such as to Kolkata, Guwahati and Bagdogra. The Department of Air Transport has officially renamed the airport as Gelephu International Airport and received the international certification from the ICAO (UN agency that looks after aviation). International flights to the above destinations will start soon using the existing Druk Air ATR-42. Some clearances for the air route from the respective governments are awaited. (Source: The Bhutanese and Department of Air Transport, Paro International Airport)
What does this mean for GMC?
In my view, potential investors can fly in directly from India, Nepal and Bangladesh in the immediate future. Bhutanese people living in Gelephu and in the nearly Dzongkhags can fly out without having to drive to Paro to catch the flight. Indians living in nearby Assamese districts can use it too. Connectivity is the key to any economic growth and nothing is faster, safer and reliable than air connections. And since the airport has been certified, private business jets can also fly there, which will facilitate the travels of large international investors.
In 2 years time, hopefully we should have the new airport up and running. My dream is to see our own airlines acquire an Airbus a321 and fly direct to Australia, Dubai and Kuwait. Establishing such physical connections may perhaps reverse the migration, or at least create a circular one with investments and movements and keep the emotional connection with the country.
Druk Air that flies on Fridays and Sundays is reportedly seeing an average of 20 passengers on every flight (the plane capacity is 30). As I mentioned in my earlier post, if we make service available, people will find ways to use it.
Technically, it is also possible to land the Airbus a320 types of aircrafts on this 1500m runway but may require special certification of pilots to do that since it is stretching a bit. However, this would link Gelephu immediately to Delhi, Bangkok and Singapore. There are few international airports around the world (Santos Dumont Airport – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil) that have shorter runways than Gelephu and where Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 operate.
Another key infrastructure is the railway link, which will facilitate export of boulders and agriculture products while bringing down the prices of imported goods. The railway connection is also really important because a project as massive as an entire new city cannot be done by depending on the trucks and taxis only. Heard the Northeast Frontier Railway are working on that. Hope the imminent visit of the Indian PM will give a new impetus.
Dreaming on? Sure, for, there is no cost to dreaming. It actually feels nice. Better than engulfing yourself with negativity and pessimism.
Druk Air has resumed scheduled flights to Gelephu. It came on the heels of the salang tendrel for the extension of the existing airport, which will play a major role in the Mindfulness City project that was formally launched on National Day.
Our airlines are more than just airlines. They are our connection and our lifeline to the world. Besides, Druk Air is our national flag carrier. And this is not a small responsibility. In my view, connectivity and furthering national pride and identity should be the main focus of Druk Air.
The concept of national flag carrier
Allow me to elaborate my argument with some academic studies and experiences from around the world.
As a Bhutanese, I grew up at a time when there was no air service in the country. Bhutan did not even have a helicopter then. I have always loved aeroplanes since I was a child. I watched the Indian jet fighters thunder over our school in Kharbandi. So one can imagine the excitement I felt when I saw pictures of a Dornier aircraft with the national flag on its tail. Of course, back then I was unaware of all the hard work, and the diplomacy of the Highest Office, which went behind to get that tiny aircraft flying. I only learned that much later – first hand.
Today, in the world, there are more than 30 state-owned airlines, and some big names such as Thai Airways and Air India, that run on loss. However, these countries recognise that air transport in general, and national airlines in particular, play a pivotal role by facilitating rapid connectivity, fostering economic growth through tourism and trade, and enhancing a country’s sovereignty and security. Above all, they instil pride and promote national identity by flying the national flag around the world.
Studies by scholars such as Raguraman on the national carriers of Malaysia and Singapore reveal how the governments of these two nations viewed their airlines “as important national symbols and as ‘chosen instruments’ for projecting their countries internationally”. In his paper, he examined the varying ways in which their flag carriers, a term coined at the Chicago Convention in 1944, have served to promote nation building and national identity. There was even a joke back in those days that a nation was not considered legitimate until it had collectible stamps and a flag carrier.
In recent years, three countries that have taken up building their airlines as their national brands are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey. In the last decade or so, they have gone on, with heavy subsidies from their governments, to build some of the best airlines in the market today. Switzerland did the opposite, only to realise the error and put their flag carrier back in the sky.
Our flag carrier can do more. I have suggested in my article on the Australia exodus that one way to keep an emotional link with our growing diaspora is to establish a physical connection by having our airlines do regular flights to Australia and to the Middle East. That would spark off, what in sociology is called, a circular migration. Maybe to start with, our government could negotiate seasonal flights with these governments, and then slowly make it a scheduled offering. Imagine being greeted by Druk Air’s dragon logo in Kuwait, Qatar or Canberra. Definitely it would help maintain a stronger connection with home through regular visits and investments.
Role of air connectivity for Gelephu
With the launch of the most ambitious project of our lifetime, which would require the best and most convenient connectivity to Gelephu, I commend the decision by Druk Air to resume its scheduled flights there. I understand it also plans to go international using the existing runway and the ATR aircraft to fly to cities like Bagdogara, Kolkata and Kathmandu. That would really act as a catalyst for the project. For these routes even an unpressurised Cessna Grand Caravan would do the job. These have very low operating costs.
In the long run our airlines stand to gain the most from this project – and so does our tourism industry. I hope that Bhutan Airlines, which bravely weathered Covid-19 when many private airlines went bust, will join this noble initiative to build the city of the future.
As a student of communication, I cannot stress how much communication, connectivity, and connections play a vital role in the making of a nation. Different political parties have been toying with the idea of more airports around the country. Why not? We don’t have to fly the Airbus around. Small aircrafts known as STOL (short take-off and landing) could be deployed like in Nepal and other mountainous countries. There are many makes and models in the market, such as the Twin Otter and Beechcraft. If you have at least 800 metres of runway, you are good to go. We should shed the description of our country as being poor, mountainous or landlocked. It blocks our minds from doing anything big or bold.
There should be more than just two flights in a week to Gelephu. Agreed that there is no demand now. However, to paraphrase the legendary Steve Jobs of Apple Inc, you create the demand where there isn’t one. That’s how you become a market leader and a trendsetter. I believe that if somehow our airlines could bring down the prices, more could fly, and more demand could be created. This is the business model of budget airlines such as AirAsia whose slogan is “Now Everyone Can Fly”. If the government needs to subsidise our airlines, it should do so. The overall benefit would be spread to the people and to the economy. After all, we are talking about national unity and solidarity, and pressing our economic pedal hard, as we embark on the most important royal initiative for some years to come.
I travel a lot. Nothing is more reassuring than seeing your own people and the flag waiting for you in India, Nepal or Thailand to take you back home. Whenever I am close to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on the highway, I always turn my head towards the tarmac where our two airlines, Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines, are usually parked. Seeing either of them with our national symbols always makes me proud.
And like that little boy who was incredibly excited to see the tiny Dornier carry our flag in 1983, I was once again filled with wonder and awe when I landed in Gelephu two weeks back. I just stood there for a couple of minutes savouring that beautiful moment in history.
Flying, which used to be one of the most glamorous ways of travelling, is quite a nightmare these days. In the post-911 era, air travel has become a pain and nauseatingly complicated at times. At best the experience is dampened by airlines jamming more seats and packing us like sardines in tin boxes. And now we have this nightmarish video of a passenger, in the ‘greatest’ country on Earth: US of A, being dragged down the aisle like a mailbag.
Honestly, I was very disturbed by what I saw – to the point of feeling like an idiot – because I have flown United Airlines. Maybe it was because they picked on an Asian-looking guy or maybe, this was the last straw on the loads of racist narratives coming out of the US these days. Anyway it was not just me but the whole world, especially this part of the globe, that is upset.
My father, who was a truck driver, took a better care of his loads of potatoes than how some big airlines from the ‘civilised’ countries – the US in particular, treat their human cargo. On a flight from New York to San Francisco in 2014, I was even made to pay for water.
Still, since flying is the best way to get around, let me share how we in Bhutan also ‘re-accomodate’ our passengers – and where flying is still fun and glamorous. And where passengers are not just payloads or figures on the balance sheets, but human beings.
Flight overbooking is a norm in airline business. But in Bhutan, we never overbook. Instead, we under-book our flights. That’s because the airport is at 7,500 feet above sea level – and engines, like humans, need a good level of oxygen to efficiently burn the jet fuel. And oxygen is bit in short supply at this altitude while the iron birds have to safely soar up the high mountains that encircle the Paro International Airport. The aircrafts are, therefore, handicapped from taking off at full capacity. Also, our airlines don’t bump off passengers in favor of their employees. On most occasions, it is the other way around. Employees are kept on hold till all paying passengers are checked in.
Bhutan’s first aircraft was a Dornier that had one pilot, two props and 14 seats and nothing else. The flight left when the weather God smiled and when the only pilot didn’t call in sick.Nevertheless, giving up seats on Bhutanese airlines happens all the time. But we don’t use computers. We use human beings. They look towards the cabin and identify the most-agreeable looking Bhutanese to give up the seat. It should be Bhutanese because all foreigners are guests in Bhutan. So twice, that person happened to be me. Once it was to hand over the seat of my three-year old daughter. I was asked to put her on my lap. “What’s happening?” I asked. The air-hostess replied that there was an emergency medical evacuation. As I lifted my daughter to take her seat and vacate mine, I jokingly asked, “OK! But what does Druk Air give me in return?” “Anything,” the air-hostess replied helping me to clear the seat. And seconds later I found a soldier who was wounded at the frontier – taking my seat. In Bhutan we rarely ask why we do good things. We just do it. And we don’t limit to offering just 800 bucks. Our airlines offer “anything”, which both parties later forget anyway.
The second time was in 2003 when I got my first chance to fly the business class – courtesy of my Japanese hosts who were paying for my trip. I had just settled on the spacious leather seat when a flight attendant leaned over to me and asked if I could go to the Economy section. “Why?” I asked. In Bhutan we don’t say, ‘I paid’, or protest. Money is not everything and passengers are not just PNR numbers. The flight attendant explained that they had a VIP travelling at last minute and I would be compensated for moving to the Economy. As we were negotiating – and as I was trying to cling to my rare chance to fly business, the chief steward, who was in kindergarten with me, rushed into the cabin. He didn’t even wish me. He instantly turned back to the exit door with, “Oh! It’s Dorji Wangchuk. No problem.” In Bhutan, we can still take our friends and family members for granted. No apologies and public statements are required. However, you can also hit back for being downgraded to the coach. When the lunch was served, I told the chief steward to serve me the food from the business class – and also to pack me some fruits, bread, wine, soft drinks and beer for my long transit time through Bangkok Airport – which he grudgingly obliged. Many flights later I also reclaimed my business class seat, for free, as I wasn’t feeling well that day. The crew members didn’t even ask for proof.
The jump seat reminded me of a dining chair in a Jesuit school I went. You sit upright all the time.
Another time, the captain was one of my good friends, whom I had not seen for a while. As soon as he saw me boarding the plane he said, “Drop your bags and come over. I know you like flying.” Moments later I was bolted on the jump seat behind him like a child with the seat belt crossing all over my body. The take-off was spectacular and the pit-stop landing in Kolkata was a walk in the park for our pilots used to the treacherous Paro International – considered the world’s most difficult airport. As more passengers joined in for onward flight to Bangkok, my pilot friend informed me, “Now you can’t go back to your seat. It is taken. We picked up one extra passenger here.” In Bhutan, if we have to release a seat, we can tie up someone in the cockpit. It is very uncomfortable in there for a 4-hour flight but the view is simply marvellous.
Of course, we are not perfect. Like, we rarely fly on time. The Bhutan Standard Time has been redubbed as Bhutan Stretchable Time. We are improving though – especially if we have to fly out. But when we fly into Bhutan we have our own definition of time. Few years ago, I met a Swiss couple who was visiting a common friend of ours in Thimphu. They missed their flight in Delhi and arrived a day later. “What happened? You guys overslept or got struck in the traffic?” I asked. They looked at each other and smiled and went, “Well, we actually got to the airport one and half hour before the flight.” “Then?” I asked – bit surprised. “We were informed that the flight was not on time. And that it just left.” “Left? Before time? Did you guys protest?” “Yes, we did. We were told very nicely that our ticket clearly reminds us that because of weather conditions in Paro, flights may not be on time. And that only westerners think that ‘not on time’ means delays. Not on time could also mean before the time.” A brief silence. Then we all bursted out laughing. And my friends continued, “We thought you guys are absolutely right. Why should not-on-time be always behind? It can also mean ahead of the stipulated time. We always learn a new thing every time we come to Bhutan”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(PS. The whole of Bhutan has 6 airplanes and 2 helicopters. We are better off than John Travolta by the two helicopters.)
Bhutanese pilots are some of the best for, there are currently only a dozen in the world certified to land in Bhutan.
Only on airlines in Bhutan cakes are served to passengers on royal birthdays of the Crown Prince or His Majesty the King.
There is no inflight entertainment on Bhutanese airlines. If you are a foreigner expect a local seated next to you with “intrusive” questions like ‘where you are from’, ‘how old are you’, ‘how many brothers and sisters you have’, ‘are you married’, picture of your spouse please, etc. This is our way of being nice, which also helps beat the ‘boring’ flight.
If you are on the left windows seats you get to see tall mountains such as Everest, Kanchenjunga and our own Jumolhari and Jichu Drake (in the pic). Many Bhutanese offer the window seats to uninformed tourists flying into Bhutan for the first time.
Meanwhile elsewhere in the world this is a regular scene at security checkpoints in the airports.
And of course there are international airlines that operates a la Bhutanese. Last February Air Macau pulled me to business class after the flight went overbooked. So from the most-agreeable man I think I graduated to the most-decent looking. At least, on that one flight.
![1985 0827 [7] Druk Air Dornier at Paro airport (1)](https://dorji-wangchuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1985-0827-7-druk-air-dornier-at-paro-airport-1.jpg)
Dorji Wangchuk 