Bathpalathang Airport
Bathpalathang is Bhutan’s central domestic airport, in Chamkhar, a few minutes from Jakar. One asphalt runway, 1,200 metres long, at 2,700 metres above sea level, opened on 17 December 2011. It is not a sight — it is how a lot of guests reach Bumthang, and that is worth a page of its own.
What flying in actually saves you
Bumthang sits in the middle of Bhutan, which is a long way from anywhere by road. Getting here from the west means the Trongsa road: spectacular, slow, and a full day. Getting to the east from here means another one.
Drukair flies Paro to Bathpalathang, and half an hour in the air replaces most of a day on the road. If your trip runs west to east — and any trip that gets past Bumthang does — that is a real decision, not a convenience.
It cuts both ways. The Trongsa road is one of the great drives in the Himalaya and it passes Trongsa Dzong, and giving it up to save a day is not obviously the right trade. We would rather talk it through than recommend one.
Why there is no schedule on this page
Ask us. The Bumthang service is seasonal and weather-dependent, the airport was suspended in July 2012 after runway damage, and we have published three separate posts over the years announcing that flights to Bumthang have resumed.
Three resumptions is the fact worth knowing. A timetable printed on a travel page is not — it would be right for a season and wrong for years afterwards, and being wrong about a flight costs a guest a day.
So: we check the schedule when we build your trip, and we build in a fallback. If the flight does not go, the road still does.
The airport itself
One runway, 1,200 m, asphalt, at 2,700 m. Codes BUT and VQBT. It opened on 17 December 2011, with inaugural flights the same day by Drukair and Tashi Air.
Bhutan has four airports in total: Paro International, and three domestic — Bathpalathang, Yongphulla in Trashigang and Gelephu. Bathpalathang is the central one, and it is the reason eastern Bhutan is a realistic destination on a two-week trip rather than a three-week one.
The terminal is very small and the approach into a Himalayan valley at 2,700 m is worth having a window seat for. It is also five minutes from the Swiss cheese factory and the brewery, which is the best possible use of an hour before a flight.
See things to do in Bumthang for what to do once you are on the ground.
Tours that visit Bumthang
Frequently asked questions
Can you fly to Bumthang?
Yes — Drukair flies Paro to Bathpalathang, which turns a long day on the road into about half an hour in the air. Ask us before you plan around it. The service is seasonal and weather-dependent, and we would rather build you an itinerary that works either way than one that collapses if the flight does not go.
How many airports does Bhutan have?
Four. One international — Paro — and three domestic: Bathpalathang in Bumthang, Yongphulla in Trashigang and Gelephu.
When did Bathpalathang Airport open?
17 December 2011, with inaugural flights by both Drukair and Tashi Air. It was suspended in July 2012 after runway damage and later reopened.
How big is Bathpalathang Airport?
One asphalt runway, 1,200 metres long, at 2,700 m above sea level. Codes BUT / VQBT. The terminal is very small.
Why does the airport matter for a Bhutan itinerary?
Because Bumthang is the pivot between western and eastern Bhutan. Flying in or out of Bathpalathang can save a full day on the Trongsa road — which is either a gift or a missed drive, depending on how much you like mountain roads.
Tailor-made travel
Begin your journey to the Last Shangri-La
Every Little Bhutan itinerary is private and tailor-made. Tell us what draws you to Bhutan — festivals, treks, monasteries, food — and we will design the journey around it.