Starting from March, 2012 Druk Air will fly to Singapore as per the Singapore Bhutan air service agreement which was signed yesterday in Thimphu.

Although four flights are expected to fly a week to Singapore, it would depend on when the national airline can acquire the third airbus aircraft. The third airbus is likely to be obtained at the end of this year.

The agreement with Singapore civil aviation team, called the “open sky agreement”, allows Drukair and upcoming private airline, Tashi Air, the rights to fly to Singapore. Open sky agreement, commercial general manager of Drukair Tshering Penjor, explained was when two countries are entering into a totally unrestricted accessibility. “This is because Singapore, being one of the major tourist hub in South East Asia, there will be more tourist visiting Bhutan as well,” he said. “This ASA with Singapore will also open Bhutan to many other countries.”

A memorandum of understanding on the air service was signed last week that detailed about the designated operators, Drukair and Tashi Air.

Meanwhile, director general with department of civil aviation, Phala Dorji, said the flights will route through Dhaka, Bangladesh or Kolkata, India. However the air fares for Bhutan Singapore flights were not finalised yet.

He said, on both routes, the journey would be about four hours.

Druk Air will also fly to Mumbai starting March next year, following an old agreement. This is the seventh air service agreement Bhutan signed after those with Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two SAARC countries without air service agreement with Bhutan.