Gelephu International Airport: Airfield Contract Awarded
By Best of Bhutan Research Desk · October 5, 2026 · 8 min read
Gelephu International Airport moved into its main construction phase this week. On Saturday, 3 October 2026, the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA) awarded the airfield construction contract to the Rigsar-Vajra Joint Venture, according to BBS and the GMCA's own announcement. The package covers the runway, taxiways, aircraft parking aprons, airfield lighting, the air traffic control tower and the specialist systems an international airport needs.
In short: Bhutan's second international airport, in Gelephu in the southern lowlands, now has a contractor for its airfield. The runway will be 3,000 metres long and is designed to take wide-bodied commercial aircraft. The opening target remains December 2029. Until then, every international flight into Bhutan still lands at Paro.
This post sets out what was awarded, where the project stands, the published timeline, and what the airport is likely to change for visitors once it opens.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | What has been announced |
|---|---|
| Project | Gelephu International Airport (IATA code GLU) |
| Contract | Airfield construction package |
| Awarded | 3 October 2026, by the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority |
| Contractor | Rigsar-Vajra Joint Venture |
| Contract value | Not disclosed |
| Scope | Runway, taxiways, aircraft parking aprons, airfield lighting, air traffic control tower, specialist airport systems, Instrument Landing System |
| Runway | 3,000 m, designed for wide-bodied commercial aircraft |
| Peak workforce | More than 800 workers (projected) |
| Opening target | December 2029 |
| Initial capacity | 1.3 million passengers a year (5.5 million planned later) |
| Phase 1 cost | About USD 500 million (2025 estimate) |
Sources for each figure are listed at the end of this post.
What Was Awarded on 3 October
The airfield package is the "airside" half of the airport: everything aircraft use on the ground and in the final stage of landing. According to BBS, it includes:
- the 3,000-metre runway, designed for wide-bodied commercial aircraft
- taxiways linking the runway to the terminal area
- aircraft parking aprons
- airfield lighting
- the air traffic control tower
- specialist airport systems, including an Instrument Landing System (ILS) to guide pilots on approach
The value of the contract has not been made public. BBS reported that work areas will be handed to the contractor in stages over the coming month, and that the airfield is scheduled to be finished ahead of the December 2029 opening. Construction employment is expected to peak at more than 800 workers. Work on the passenger terminal and landside facilities (roads, parking and access) is running in parallel.
GMCA Co-Chief Executive Officer Lee Seow Hiang told BBS the project is now "moving from preparing the ground to building the infrastructure" that will connect Bhutan with the world.
Who is Rigsar-Vajra?
The Rigsar-Vajra Joint Venture is not new to the site. Kuensel reported in October 2025 that the same joint venture was carrying out the large earth-filling works at the airport site and had moved to round-the-clock shifts. Those earthworks raise and level the ground the runway will sit on. The new contract moves the firm from site preparation to building the airfield itself.
Where the Project Stands
Gelephu International Airport is the flagship infrastructure project of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), the special administrative region being developed in Sarpang district on Bhutan's southern border with Assam.
Key milestones so far:
- February 2025: Business Bhutan reported an optimised Phase 1 cost of about USD 500 million, a site of more than 750 acres about 2 km from Gelephu town, and a completion target of the end of 2029. The design team includes Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Changi Airports International and Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO).
- 8 July 2025: groundbreaking. Daily Bhutan reported an initial capacity of 1.3 million passengers a year, rising to 5.5 million in later phases.
- October 2025: earth-filling works run 24 hours a day (Kuensel).
- 3 October 2026: airfield construction contract awarded (BBS).
The published timeline
At the groundbreaking, the project published a staged schedule, as reported by Daily Bhutan. The airfield award comes later than the April 2026 start date listed for main construction, but the December 2029 opening target has not changed.
| Stage | Target in the 2025 schedule |
|---|---|
| Earthworks and river diversion | From July 2025 |
| Main construction (runway and terminal) | April 2026 |
| Airport systems installation | July 2027 |
| Aerodrome certification | July 2028 |
| Testing and commissioning | March 2029 |
| Operational readiness | July 2029 |
| Opening | December 2029 |
Large airport projects often shift by months. Treat any date after the opening target as unconfirmed until airlines publish schedules.
Why This Matters for Bhutan
Today Bhutan has one international airport, at Paro. Paro sits in a narrow Himalayan valley at about 2,200 metres, and the approach is flown visually by a small group of specially trained pilots. That limits the size of aircraft, the number of flights and the times of day planes can land. Only two airlines, Drukair and Bhutan Airlines, fly scheduled international services. (Our flights guide covers the current routes.)
Gelephu is different in almost every way:
- Low elevation. The site is about 300 metres above sea level, according to Business Bhutan, on the plains at the foot of the Himalaya.
- Longer runway. At 3,000 metres, the runway is designed for larger aircraft than Paro can take.
- Instrument landings. The ILS in this contract allows guided approaches in poorer visibility, something Paro's terrain does not allow.
- Capacity. The initial 1.3 million passengers a year is far above the number of international visitors Bhutan currently receives (see our tourism statistics).
For the Gelephu Mindfulness City project, the airport is the link that makes the rest possible: investors, residents and visitors need a way in that does not depend on Paro.
What It Means for Travellers
Nothing changes for trips before 2030. Here is what to expect now and later.
Before the airport opens (now to 2029)
- Fly into Paro. All international flights still use Paro. See our guide to travelling to Bhutan from the USA, Singapore and India.
- Gelephu is reachable by road. Gelephu is already a land entry point from Assam, India, as set out in our Bhutan visa guide. The existing small domestic airport at Gelephu is separate from the new international one.
- Visa and SDF rules are unchanged. Visitors need a visa clearance before travel and pay the Sustainable Development Fee. Our SDF Tracker shows the current rate.
After the airport opens (from December 2029, if on schedule)
- A second gateway. Travellers could fly into the south and leave from Paro, or the other way round, without backtracking by road.
- Possibly more airlines and routes. A runway built for wide-bodied aircraft makes routes possible that Paro cannot handle. No airline has announced routes to Gelephu yet. Treat any route claims you see online as unconfirmed until an airline publishes a schedule.
- Easier access to southern and central Bhutan. Gelephu is closer to Zhemgang, the Royal Manas area and the road north to Trongsa and Bumthang than Paro is. Itineraries that start in the south could become more common.
- Rules for GMC visitors are not yet set out. The GMC is a special administrative region with its own legal framework. How visa and SDF rules will apply to people arriving through Gelephu has not been announced. We will update this post when it is.
Related Planning Pages
- Gelephu Mindfulness City, explained — what is confirmed and what is only proposed
- Gelephu place guide
- Flights to Bhutan — current routes into Paro
- Bhutan visa guide — entry points, clearance and fees
- Gelephu Tshechu — the town's annual festival
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Gelephu International Airport open?
The target is December 2029. That date was set at the July 2025 groundbreaking and was repeated when the airfield contract was awarded on 3 October 2026. It is a target, not a confirmed schedule.
Who is building Gelephu International Airport?
The Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority is the developer. The Rigsar-Vajra Joint Venture holds the airfield construction contract, and earlier carried out the site's earth-filling works. The design team includes Bjarke Ingels Group, Changi Airports International and Netherlands Airport Consultants.
How long is the runway at Gelephu International Airport?
3,000 metres, designed for wide-bodied commercial aircraft. Initial operations are expected to use narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A321 and Boeing 737, according to Daily Bhutan.
Can I fly into Gelephu now?
Not from abroad. All international flights to Bhutan land at Paro. Gelephu has a small domestic airport, and the town can be reached by road from India through the Gelephu land border.
Will Gelephu replace Paro airport?
No. Nothing announced suggests Paro will close. Gelephu is planned as a second international gateway alongside Paro.
Sources
- BBS, "GMCA awards airfield construction contract for Gelephu International Airport," 3 October 2026 — bbs.bt/247001
- Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, "GMCA Awards Airfield Construction Contract for Gelephu International Airport," 3 October 2026 — gmc.bt
- Kuensel, "Gelephu Airport construction goes 24/7," October 2025 — kuenselonline.com
- Daily Bhutan, "From Vision to Runway: Gelephu International Airport Breaks Ground," July 2025 — dailybhutan.com
- Business Bhutan, "Gelephu International Airport construction: Phase 1 optimized cost to be USD 500 million," February 2025 — businessbhutan.bt
Planning a trip that takes in southern Bhutan? Talk to us — we can route an itinerary through Gelephu by road today, and we will update our routes when the new airport opens.