Covid second wave rubbing salt into aviation’s wound: airline officials
Top officials of the country’s three airlines Biman, US-Bangla and NOVOAIR and aviation experts today said the next wave of coronavirus has hit the aviation sector again with a serious blow although it was in efforts to regenerate from the losses it incurred this past year following a first wave of the virus spread.
Claiming the second wave of coronavirus has further rubbed salt into wound of the country’s aviation sector, the airline officials urged the federal government to waive different aeronautical, non-aeronautical and other aviation costs for now.
Taking part in a webinar titled "Bangladesh Aviation Sector Amid Pandemic: Challenges and WAY TO AVOID IT" organised by Aviation and Tourism Journalists' Forum, the aviation industry elites also cautioned that 10 private airlines so far have shut down from the beginning and only two US-Bangla and NOVOAIR stay in operation currently despite various obstacles.
NOVOAIR Managing Director Mofizur Rahman stated aeronautical, non-aeronautical and other aviation costs for the airlines imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh are higher when compared to neighbouring countries.
He further mentioned several challenges including delay in aircraft spare parts import and customs related problems are also in charge of the vulnerable state of the airlines at the moment.
Mofizur urged CAAB and the concerned ministry to take necessary measures immediately to remove these obstacles and help the airline from the brink of extinction following a pandemic.
Even though flights on different international routes remained suspended for over a year, the airlines were bound to pay huge sums of charges to CAAB, said Abdullah Al Mamun, Managing Director of US-Bangla Airlines. In this sad state of the airline, this provided a nail in the coffin for them, he added.
US-Bangla Airlines has lost 70 % capacity in international routes and 54 % capacity in domestic routes. "Before Covid-19 pandemic, we used to use 36 flights each day which now stands of them costing only 18 flights," Mamun explained.
Mamun said they have been demanding waiver of aeronautical, non-aeronautical and other costs for the last seven to eight years. But the authorities concerned are yet to pay heed with their demand.
Mamun said they must pay BDT 7-8 crore as aeronautical charges which is a huge burden for them.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, an aviation expert and Editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, said it could be problematic for the country's airlines to survive without policy support from the government.
"Many established airlines have become bankrupt because of the Covid-19 fallout and our private airlines will never be able to survive if the government will not readjust the fuel price, aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges," he claimed.
Biman Managing Director and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said the flag carrier has lost 43 % capacity amid Covid, resulting in a huge loss for this.
"Recently we have purchased three completely new aircraft. Besides five state-of-the-art technology equipped aircraft are also sitting idle. But we have to pay loan and maintenance cost money every hour for all those aircraft," he sighed.
Hoping that the aviation sector will recover again, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said he'll sit with the stakeholders and discuss about reducing various charges soon.
Secretary, Civil Aviation Ministry, Md Mokammel Hossain said the government will give highest priority about how to give incentives in order that the aviation industry may survive this turmoil and move forward.
State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali as the chief guest at the webinar agreed the aviation sector is certainly going through a very difficult time at present because of Covid-19. "However the government must stand beside the airlines and will do whatever necessary for their survival," he assured.
Source: bangladeshmonitor.com.bd
