4 New private Airlines takes off in BD

[Murad]

Private airlines take off, aim higher
4 new airlines to make most of Biman failure, growing demand
Rashidul Hasan and Sarwar A Chowdhury



Aviation industry marks a boom with the launch of three private airlines in last eight months and another set to start commercial flights next month, thanks to a steadily growing demand for air transport.

Private airline operators say the industry is growing by 7.5 to 8 percent every year, adding, the market size of passengers is worth around Tk 3,500 crore.

"The aviation industry witnessed a 7.6 percent growth globally last year and it was also the same in Bangladesh," said Captain Tasbirul Ahmed Choudhury, chairman and managing director of United Airways (BD) Ltd, which started operation in July 2007.

Apart from United Airways, Best Air made its debut in mid-January and Aviana Airways, with the brand name Royal Bengal, in late January, both on domestic routes so far.

Earlier, GMG Airlines was the only private airline operating on domestic routes along with national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd.

Anmole Albab Airlines Ltd, another local private airline, under the brand name of A2 Air is set to operate international passenger flights from Bangladesh in March this year. Initially, it will operate flights to the Middle East and Far Eastern countries.

"We have already completed all the procedures to collect two Boeing-747 aircraft to operate flights on international routes," said Wahidur Rahman Rana, chief financial officer of Anmole Albab Airlines.

Retired employees of Biman also formed a body last year to float a new private airline.

Non-resident Bangladeshis' contribution to the industry is significant as they, mostly from the UK and the US, have launched two of the four private airlines.

These airlines are operating flights with 10 different aircraft. GMG has seven aircraft in its fleet with two Dash-8, three Boeing MD-80, one Boeing 737 and one Boeing 747.

United Airways has one Dash-8-100, Best Air one Boeing 737, and Aviana Airways has one Dash-8-100.

The private airlines are also planning to add more aircraft to their fleet so that flights can be expanded to international destinations.

United Airways has already purchased another Dash-8-100 and signed a letter of intent with a Singapore-based company to lease an Airbus A300-310. The airline is also negotiating to lease a Boeing 747-300.

Best Air is going to add another Boeing 737 to its fleet by March this year.

The new private airlines are operating domestic flights on Dhaka to Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet and Jessore routes so far.

Besides, GMG is operating international flights on Dhaka to Kolkata, Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai routes.

The other private airlines are also planning to launch international flights.

"It'll be very difficult to survive by operating only on domestic routes; it's very much essential to go for international routes," said Tasbir of United Airways, founded by non-resident Bangladeshis mostly from the UK.

He also said they are now waiting for the government nod to operate international flights on Dhaka-Dubai-London, Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka-Dubai, Chittagong-Dubai, Dhaka-Kolkata, and Dhaka-Kathmandu routes.

Like United, Best Air is also planning to launch international flights. "We'll start our international flights on Dhaka-Bangkok route in March this year and on Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur, Kolkata, Chennai and Dubai routes within next six months," said Mohsin Rana, acting manager (marketing and sales).

The private operators said seat utilisation of their aircraft ranges from 30 percent to 60 percent.

The ever-growing demand for air transport on international routes prompted them to go for international flights, they added.

Around 40 lakh passengers fly from Zia International Airport (ZIA) to different foreign destinations every year, while about 1.8-2.4 lakh more aspiring passengers cannot go to the Middle East due mainly to seat crisis, observed Wahidur Rahman of Anmole.

Referring to a study, he said the possibility of getting a ticket to a European or American destination just before a week is only one to two percent.

The possibility stands at 20 percent if the passenger tries one month before the journey, he added. "So, there is a huge scope for Bangladeshi private carriers to operate here and it will be no problem if another two to three private airlines join the industry."

Biman Bangladesh Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer MA Momen welcomed the new private airlines to the country's aviation industry. He said this will create competition among the local private airlines and make them provide standard services.

"With expansion of business and tourism, people's movement is increasing day by day and they are now looking for faster transport like airplanes. That's why the demand for air transport is also increasing," said Habibur Rahman, managing director of Aviana Airways.

"If foreign carriers can do business in Bangladesh, why can't we?” he asked.

Daily Star

[akabir77]

GMG is not new. I heard that they will start england-bd flights very soon.

[Dhurr]

This is good news. We needed this. 6 mash agey ticket book kora - eishob adim kal er pechal joto joldi falaiya deya jai, toto bhalo.

[Yameen]

WOW didnt know GMG had 747s in the fleet, 4sure these airlines are gonna cash in from Bimans failure..another private airline that going to be started up soon i hear is Air Syhlet?

[al Furqaan]

biman better wake up...its an embarrassment what the country's flag carrier has been doing for well over a decade now.

on the flip sides, the initiative shown by the NRBs and domestics to start private companies means that there is light at the tunnel, not just in civil aviation, but in bangladesh as a whole.

***

gmg has jumbo jets? and a2 air is looking to pick up 2 B747s??? hot damn.

[zahid]

What about the F-22's?

[Ajfar]

whateva happened to air sylhet???

[ialbd]

waiting for the Dhaka-London route to be started by one of these airlines. If they can come up with a low fare during the high season (which I think they can)....

and inshAllah one day they'll reach the other end of the pond.....

[Beamer]

What is up with the names? GMG, Best Air, United..bhalo kono nam ditey parey na? Sounds so generic and lacking imagination..

[akbar1]

Does any one know what GMG stands for?

[Murad]

Originally Posted by akbar1
Does any one know what GMG stands for?

Ghovor makha ghor

[ammark]

Biman'er failure thekei nijera khaite parbe. But they have to rethink their business model. puraton 747 diya tana tani thamaye, they ought to go for new small cheap-to-maintain (means more fuel efficient, less bhanga-chora) aircraft, and focus only on middle eastern and heavy traffic routes. They have to adobt a Ryanair-Easyjet policy of Low-fares to keep Bangladeshi consumers happy.

Making a profit in airline business is hard work with the costs and expenses involved. I would expect the investors to shed their thick skins and be open to mergers after consolidating anywhere in their markets.

[akabir77]

GMG website doesn't say what they stand for...
but i found these



anyway We should close Biman down and let the private airlines do it as they do in usa...

[Fazal]

Will it fly?

Do they have self starter or need to push from behind?

Will they give boarding pass, or first come first seat?

Are they converted to CNG or nead regular expensive fuel?

Are non-sylheti allowed as passanger?

Which Language do air crew uses: Bangla or Sylheti?

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by ammark
Biman'er failure thekei nijera khaite parbe. But they have to rethink their business model. puraton 747 diya tana tani thamaye, they ought to go for new small cheap-to-maintain (means more fuel efficient, less bhanga-chora) aircraft, and focus only on middle eastern and heavy traffic routes. They have to adobt a Ryanair-Easyjet policy of Low-fares to keep Bangladeshi consumers happy.

Making a profit in airline business is hard work with the costs and expenses involved. I would expect the investors to shed their thick skins and be open to mergers after consolidating anywhere in their markets.

hey Ammar, do you know if GMG really has two 747-300s? their website has a picture of one in GMG livery.

[ialbd]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
hey Ammar, do you know if GMG really has two 747-300s? their website has a picture of one in GMG livery.

they do, but leased though (which is not that surprising). I think they just have just 1 on their fleet right now, serving Dhaka-Dubai route and another one to be added by Summer...

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by shuaib
...
Sylheti is not another language from Bangla, it is part of the Bengali language!

is it my shortcoming that I do not understand Sylheti or the sylhetis can't speak their own language (bengali)?

[Fazal]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
is it my shortcoming that I do not understand Sylheti or the sylhetis can't speak their own language (bengali)?

I think its your shortcoming that you do not understand Sylheti. You seem to have no problem drinking Sylheti chai. then why not....

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Fazal
I think its your shortcoming that you do not understand Sylheti. You seem to have no problem drinking Sylheti chai. then why not....

I knew I wasn't perfect in everything. Thanks for pointing that out.

By the way, no chaa, coffee, hukka, hudai beer, shupari, jorda, pan, biri, cigarate for me. bad for health.

[Fazal]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
By the way, no chaa, coffee, pan, biri, cigarate for me. bad for health.

Not even hukka, cigar, shupari, jorda, tamak pata, shada, or even hudai beer?

Boooy you are converted into real Niramish then.

[ammark]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
hey Ammar, do you know if GMG really has two 747-300s? their website has a picture of one in GMG livery.

I know they have at least one. I saw it fly overhead today. Looks nice. Except that I cant fathom the logic behind having an expensive mammoth unless its a 7-a-row, free seating, local bus* to the labour terminals of Dammam and Riyadh.


*my experience on Saudia 747-300 coming from Jeddah once.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by ammark
I know they have at least one. I saw it fly overhead today. Looks nice. Except that I cant fathom the logic behind having an expensive mammoth unless its a 7-a-row, free seating, local bus* to the labour terminals of Dammam and Riyadh.


*my experience on Saudia 747-300 coming from Jeddah once.

according to wikipedia, GMG plans to have service to London Heathrow, Milan, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and a few other places by th end of 2009. i think thats why they have the 743s.

on the other hand 2 743s alone won't cut it to those destinations, so they are planning to order 777s and 787s.

[auntu]

1 of my friend working GMG told me they recrute new 'biman bala'. all indians. bcoz no such trained found here. so r actually not gettin d advantage to new jobs coz of skilled persons

[Electrequiem]

What's easier to understand for a shuddho Bangla speaker? Chatgaiya or Sylheti?

[mshakir56]

I think sylheti is easier to understand ! Chatgaiya is just difficult for my ears !