US-Bangla eyeing to form Sylhet more accessible
US-Bangla Airlines, the most important local private airline in terms of fleet size, plans to open new routes for Bangladesh’s domestic travellers, especially to and from Sylhet.
From the center of this year, the airline will begin flights on new routes: Sylhet-Chattogram, Sylhet-Cox’s Bazar, Jashore-Chattogram and Jashore-Sylhet.
Currently, there are eight commercial airports in Bangladesh and every destination can only be reached through the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka.
“If the new routes are introduced, passengers are going to be ready to travel between most airports without a transit at HSIA,” said Sikder Mezbahuddin Ahmed, chief military officer of US-Bangla Airlines, during a news conference at a hotel in Sylhet on Sunday.
As a neighborhood of their plans, the airline added a fresh 72-seater ATR72-600 aircraft to their fleet last week on a ten-year lease. The vessel is manufactured by ATR (Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a venture by French aerospace company Airbus and Italian aviation group Aeritalia.
A group of journalists from Dhaka boarded the new aircraft, which carried them to the news conference in Sylhet in its maiden voyage.
Four more aircrafts of comparable build will arrive within subsequent few months.
Launched in July 2014 with the motto ‘Fly Fast, Fly Safe’, US-Bangla is now trying to modernise its fleet with fifth generation airships.
The airline previously added five of ATR 72-600 aircrafts to its fleet, featuring four Boeing 737-800 and three DASH8-Q400 planes. With the newest addition, US-Bangla’s fleet size stands at 13, the country’s second largest overall after ensign carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
“Flying within the ATR72-600, which is provided with a glass technology cockpit, passengers will now feel safer,” Ahmed said.
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, instead of the normal analogue dials and gauges.
Ahmed touted the new aircraft because the best for short-haul destinations in Bangladesh. it's various advanced technologies, like better air-conditioning and cabin pressurisation system. Its engine is additionally 6 per cent more powerful and more fuel efficient than its predecessor model, the ATR72-500, he said.
“The plane’s most interesting feature is that it's a strong engine but consumes 20 per cent less fuel,” Ahmed added.
To deal with the new technologies, the airline conducted pilot training programmes, led by experienced foreign instructors and pilots, consistent with US-Bangla officials.
“We are the most important local private airline but this doesn't make us proud. What we are pleased with is that we kept our promise to our valued customers by providing safe and cozy flights with fresh aircrafts, featuring the simplest technologies,” Ahmed said.
Asked about the likelihood of operating flights on routes with less equipped airports, he said the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has already taken the initiative to upgrade airports and every one relevant infrastructure as required .
The airline launches 26 flights to and from domestic locations like Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Jashore, Saidpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barishal and Dhaka every day .
In 2019, the amount of domestic travellers using the airline increased 10 per cent to about 20 lakh.
US-Bangla also operates flights to and from Kolkata, Chennai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur , Bangkok, Guangzhou, Muscat and Doha.
Despite the recent coronavirus outbreak in China, the airline still maintains its route to Guangzhou.
“Many Bangladeshis stuck in China want to return back. We cannot close our doors when people are in peril ,” Ahmed said.
The number of individuals killed by the virus rose by 97 last Sunday, the very best number of casualties during a day, taking the entire death count in China to 908.
“The necessary safety measures are taken to stop the spread of coronavirus and that i personally visited China few days earlier to spice up the crew’s mental strength,” he added.
Monirul Haque Joarder, director for flight operations of US-Bangla; Moshiul Azam, head of training; Musa Mollah, director of administration; and Md Kamrul Islam, general manager-public relations, also spoke on the occasion.
