Domestic Air Services to start on the National day.

With the completion of Bhutan’s second domestic airport in Bumthang, domestic air services are scheduled to launch on national day December 17 2011.

The construction of the Batpalathang airport was completed this week and that only minor works, like runway marking and emergency equipment deployment remained and Batpalathang airport would be certified by the next week.

DCA expects national airline- Drukair, and private airline- Tashi Air, to operate domestic operations on December 17 2011.  Both the airlines have assured DCA that this will happen.

When Batpalathang is certified next week, the country will have established the infrastructure for an east-west air link that will cut down travel time dramatically. 

Construction of a third domestic airport at Gelephu in southern Bhutan has also just begun.

While putting in place the infrastructure to allow this, the Paro-Bumthang-Trashigang air link is very near to completion, the Department  which already faces a severe human resource shortage, will also now have to tackle the problem of finding the human resources to manage the two additional airports.

Meanwhile the royal civil service commission had recently provided DCA with 64 new personnel and this has relieved the department. For security purposes, the Department has requested the army for perimeter security personnel while the Airport security has been already placed at the Airport side. Like wise staffs from almost all the sections have been placed and is ready for the operation.

The effort to establish the two domestic airports has been a long one. Both airports were supposed to have been completed last year.  But labour, weather, and logistic problems continued to hinder contractors and caused many deferments. Yonphula airport was only completed in September this year.DGCA Phala Dorji has pointed out that it had not been an easy task.DCA’s own human resource shortage had meant that its employees had to go the extra mile.Despite the difficulties the department considers this as a major achievement, and as a mission accomplished!