A stunning new £178 million airport is set to open in one of the world’s happiest countries.
Gelephu International Airport is set to open in Bhutan, with a maximum of 1.3 million tourists a year. This is a large goal for the country, which currently gets 316,000 visitors annually.
The cost of the new airport has not been confirmed but there are rumours it is upwards of £178 million. It is aiming to open in 2029 with 123 flights a day.
The new airport will be made of wooden diamonds to mimic a mountain range. Between the domestic and foreign terminals will be huge gardens and an open-air forest called the Forest Spine
The walls will be lined with ornate designs and there will be yoga spaces, outdoor lounges, meditation and sound bath zones.
The Bjarke Ingels Group said they had designed the airport to embrace Bhutan’s ethos of “gross national happiness”. The country has among the world’s highest happiness rates.
Founder and Creative Director Bjarke Ingels, said: “An airport is the first and last impression you get of a place you visit. For the Gelephu International Airport, we have tried to embody the nature and culture of the country and the Mindfulness City.
“The forests that cover the highlands are allowed to flow from the arrival plaza through the airport to the tarmac.”
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said in a statement: “This airport is essential for the success of the GMC as a business hub, and it is also a critical lifeline for Bhutan’s national security, especially for a landlocked country.”
Currently, tourists fly into Paro International Airport near Thimpu. The airport’s proximity to the mountains means only a few flights are able to land a day, mainly short-haul from nearby cities like New Delhi and Bangkok.
Bhutan is credited with pioneering “high value, low impact” tourism. Visitors must pay a daily sustainable development fee of £77, which funds health care, education, and other public services.
