MUMBAI: Air India on Wednesday said it has entered into an interline partnership with Bhutanese flag carrier Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines to offer passengers seamless travel on each other's network and strengthen connectivity between the two South Asian neighbours.
With this collaboration, Tata group-owned Air India said it now provides seamless connectivity to nearly all countries in the SAARC region through its own or partner network.
Apart from India and Bhutan, other countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
An interline arrangement is a pact to issue and accept tickets for flights that are operated by the partner airline. When selling an interline ticket, the operating airlines' flight numbers are used.
The partnership with the Bhutanese carrier enables passengers to benefit from a single-ticket itinerary combining Air India and Drukair flights, ensuring a seamless end-to-end travel, Air India said.
The interline collaboration also offers coordinated baggage transfer to the final destination via Air India's hub at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, it said.
Passengers will also benefit from competitive interline fares, providing enhanced flexibility, improved connectivity, and greater overall value, Air India said.
On the other hand, the partnership enables Air India guests to seamlessly travel to Paro (Bhutan) via Delhi from across Air India's international network.
It also provides convenient onward connections within Bhutan, from Paro to Bumthang, Gelephu, and Yonphula, the Indian carrier said.
"Our partnership with Drukair reinforces our commitment to strengthening connectivity across the SAARC region, which we consider our extended home market. Bhutan is a valued part of this region, and we are happy to enable easy access to Bhutan for our guests and look forward to welcoming Drukair's passengers onto Air India's extensive domestic and global network," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India.
Reciprocally, Drukair passengers gain direct access via Delhi, Guwahati, and Kolkata to Air India's extensive domestic network, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kochi.
This will provide connectivity to major international destinations such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Colombo, Newark, Frankfurt, New York (JFK), London (Heathrow), Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto Pearson, and Vancouver, Air India said.
"This partnership marks a significant milestone for Drukair as we continue to strengthen our global connectivity and enhance the travel experience for our passengers," said Tandi Wangchuk, Chief Executive Officer of Drukair.
Through this interline partnership with Air India, Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines customers will benefit from seamless journeys, expanded access to key international markets, and improved connectivity across India and beyond, he added.