Exorbitant airfares charged by Bhutan’s dual carriers—Drukair and Bhutan Airlines—are prompting a growing number of international tourists, Indian visitors, and Bhutanese citizens to bypass direct flights into Paro International Airport in favor of traveling through Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal, India. With direct round-trip tickets into Paro reaching prohibitive rates due to elevated aviation fuel costs and operational overheads, budget-conscious travelers are opting for domestic flights into Bagdogra before crossing the overland border at Phuentsholing via taxis and buses. Bhutanese tour operators report that steep airfares, coupled with the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), are severely constraining the nation’s post-pandemic tourism recovery, forcing up to 80% of prospective clients to seek alternative transit arrangements or abandon trip plans altogether. The price disparity is particularly pronounced for Indian tourists, for whom domestic flights to Bagdogra cost a fraction of direct Paro itineraries, enabling significant savings when traveling in family groups. Furthermore, Bhutanese nationals heading to third destinations or returning home are increasingly choosing the Bagdogra route to capitalize on cheaper Indian domestic connections. While aviation authorities defend current pricing structures as necessary for cost recovery on high-altitude routes, hospitality stakeholders warn that the effective duopoly is hurting local tour agencies by diverting bookings toward border-town operators in Jaigaon and Siliguri.
