Tashi Air

Tashi Air
IATA
B3		 ICAO
BTN		 Callsign
[1]
Founded 2011
Commenced operations 7 December 2011
Operating bases Paro Airport
Fleet size 2
Destinations 5
Parent company Tashi Group
Headquarters Thimphu, Bhutan
Key people Phala Dorji (CEO)
Website www.bhutanairlines.bt

Tashi Air (operating as Bhutan Airlines) is Bhutan's first private airline.[2] The airline resumed services on 10 October 2013, beginning its first international flights to India and Thailand.[3][4] Tashi Air served the cities of Jakar and Trashigang in Bhutan from their commencement until June 2012, suspending them due to increasing financial losses; however, these destinations are expected to resume next fall.[5]

History

Tashi Air was launched on 4 December 2011.[6] The airline is a subsidiary of the Tashi Group. The airline began regular scheduled flights to Bathpalathang and Yonphula on 18 December 2011.[7] After only six months of operation, however, the airline asked the Butanese Government for permission to suspend domestic flights.[8]

The airline resumed services on 10 October 2013, having secured the wet lease of a single Airbus A320 aircraft from a Lithuanian-based company. Flights to Kolkata and continuing on to Bangkok were offered initially.[4] The airline was required to resume domestic flights by October 2014, per an agreement with the Government of Bhutan.[5] Following the completion of its wet lease contract, Tashi Air acquired an Airbus A319 aircraft with a seating capacity of 122 passengers on 1 May 2014.[9] It received a second Airbus A319 on 30 July.

Destinations

Tashi Air serves the following destinations (as of July 2014):

The airline is currently awaiting clearance to operate flights to Bagdogra, India, within the coming months. Other planned destinations include Dhaka, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong.[11]

Fleet

The Tashi Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of May 2014):[5][9][12]

Tashi Air Fleet
Aircraft In Fleet Passengers Notes
Airbus A319 2 122

See also

References

  1. ↑ International Civil Aviation Organisation (January 2008). "Designators for aircraft operating services, aeronautical authorities and services" (Edition No. 143). International Civil Aviation Organisation. pp. 1–38.
  2. ↑ "Tashi Air- Bhutan Airlines | Department of Civil Aviation - Bhutan". Dca.gov.bt. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  3. ↑ JL (August 17, 2013). "Bhutan Airways to Start Kolkata / Bangkok Service from October 2013; Airline Route – Worldwide Airline Route Updates". Airlineroute.net. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Tashi Air of Bhutan starts flights to Bangkok from Paro.". Anna.aero. October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dorji, Gyalsten (October 3, 2013). "Tashi's Airbus A320 lands". Kuensel Online. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Tashi Group - TASHI AIR LAUNCHED ON 4TH DEC. 2011". tashigroup.bt. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "TASHI AIR LAUNCHED ON 4TH DEC. 2011". Tashi Group. 2011-12-04. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  8. ↑ "Bhutan Airlines wants to bow out for a while.". Bhutan Travel Designers. 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Bhutan Airlines - Fly with us to the Land of Happiness". bhutanairlines.bt. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  10. ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/02/25/b3-del-sep15/
  11. ↑ Dorji, Gyalsten (August 12, 2013). "Tashi Air inaugural int'l flight on Oct. 10". Kuensel Online. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Tashi gets its "Dorji"". KuenselOnline. Retrieved 28 January 2015.

External links