The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

Best Air, a private airliner, is going to kick off its international journey on May 25 with operating a flight on Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka route.

At the initial stage, there will be four flights a week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday on the route.

The flight (Boeing 737) will leave Dhaka at 11 am and return at 4:55 pm everyday. It will take 3 hours and 20 minutes in its one-way journey.

"Initially, we're making schedules of flights for four days a week, but later we'll make it seven days a week," Best Air chairman Haider Uzzaman said.

Best Air will be the latest domestic carrier to fly on international routes after Biman Bangladesh Airlines and GMG Airlines.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines, Thai Airways and Druk Air are operating flights on the Dhaka-Bangkok route.

This private airline launched its passenger flight in mid-January with a 118-seater Boeing 737-200 on the domestic route. The carrier is also expected to increase its fleet through adding another Boeing 737 this month.

Haider said, "We're happy that the government has given us the permission to operate flights to four countries as the third designated carrier from Bangladesh."

He expressed his optimism to expand its routes to India, China and Malaysia very soon.