US-Bangla to launch flights to Dubai, Abu-Dhabi in early 2021

Dhaka: Private carrier Us-Bangla Airlines has announced to launch flights to two popular Middle East destinations Dubai and Abu-Dhabi in early 2021.

The announcement came from the airline’s CEO Captain Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed at a press conference held at a hotel in the country's renowned holiday destination Cox's Bazar on November 22.

The CEO further mentioned the airline is also planning to launch flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka and Male in the Maldives next year.

“To ensure our flight operations go uninterrupted, we are also adding two more Boeing 737-800s to our fleet,” said Mesbahuddin.

And to expand domestic operations, US-Bangla will further add two more brand new ATR 72-600s to fly on Jashore-Chattogram, Saidpur-Cox's Bazar, Sylhet-Chattogram, and other routes, added the CEO.

US-Bangla has already resumed flights on all the international destinations it had in its pre-covid network - but one - Bangkok. “We hope soon we will be able to reinstate flights to Bangkok as well,” said Mesbah.

That makes the currently operated international destinations of the airline to be Muscat, Doha, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Guangzhou. Also following the air bubble arrangement between Bangladesh and India, US-Bangla launched flights from Dhaka to Kolkata and Chennai and from Chattogram to Chennai.

Moreover, from November 17, the airline commenced two weekly flights from Sylhet to Muscat. The airline is also operating flights from Chattogram to Muscat and Doha.

Speaking of domestic operations, the CEO noted that the airline is currently operating flights from Dhaka to Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet, Jashore, Saidpur, Rajshahi, and Barisal.

At present, the largest private carrier US-Bangla Airlines has a total of 13 aircraft including four Boeing 737-800s and six brand new ATR 72-600s.

While concluding his speech at the press conference, CEO Sikder Mesbahuddin expressed his grief on how the aviation industry has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. To recover and survive, it needs policy support more than ever, claimed the CEO, urging the government to waive aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges, consider jet fuel cost as per the international standard and provide hanger facilities to private airlines.

Captain Sadat, Director, Flight Operations; Captain Masood, Fleet Chief, Boeing 737; and Kamrul Islam, General Manager – Public Relations, US-Bangla Airlines were also present at the press conference.