The Bhutanese Leading the way.
An article in the Jerusalem Post on 4th October 2026 announcing five direct flights between Bhutan and Israel in February and March 2027 led to surprise and also some outrage online.
The article said that this move is expected to make the exotic destination accessible to Israeli travelers. It said this seasonal and exclusive flights is organized by the Caminos travel company, with plans for them to operate until mid-March 2027, while the airline and tourism officials plan another project toward the end of 2027.
It said the organized tours that will be marketed around the direct flights will be eight days long, in small groups of up to 16 travelers. The packages include accommodation in five-star hotels or hotels considered the best in each region, on a full-board basis.
The price of the trip stands at USD 5,395 per person based on double occupancy, and according to the organizers, the price also includes visa costs and the SDF.
The news of direct flights between two countries did not go down well with some sections in Bhutan unhappy about the Gaza war, which many countries and organizations also call a genocide.
It also raised eyebrows in Bhutan, as Israel is not exactly the most beloved country in the world right now due to Gaza, and organizing direct flights there could be misconstrued in many other countries and quarters. Though both countries have shared friendly ties in the past, the international situation and perception of Israel have changed significantly due to Gaza.
The Gaza war has led to the death of 74,254 Palestinian deaths including 21,900 children and 11,300 women. 175,306 have also been injured. Thousands more remain missing and likely dead.
On the Israeli side, over 2,046 people have been killed since the start of the conflict, with initial figures recording 1,139 deaths during the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
The Managing Director (MD) of Druk Air, Tandi Wangchuk, said that while an agreement had been signed between Druk Air and Caminos, the underlying condition was that such flights would only happen if the situation is safe in the Middle East.
The MD said after an appropriate risk analysis it was decided that it was not safe enough, and so the direct flights will not be happening.
He stressed that Druk Air is chartered by tour companies at times, and this time, it had been the Caminos travel company which is an Israeli tour company in collaboration with an Indian partner.
The MD said that both Bhutan and Israel do not even have an Air Service Agreement, and so, there is no question of regular direct flights between the two countries, as some have alleged.
He said that given the conflict in the region there, Druk Air had not even restarted its Dubai flight that it had stopped from March 2026.
The MD said that Israeli tourists anyhow come to Bhutan via other means and routes, and so the flight is not the only way to Bhutan.
