The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

The Best Aviation Limited has stepped to the international aviation industry through the launching of its international flights from ZIA International Airport yesterday.

The aircraft with passengers on board left Dhaka for Bangkok Subarnavum International Airport, Thailand at about 12:00noon.

Secretary of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Syed Mohammad Zobaer formally inaugurated the launching of the Best Air's maiden international passenger flight.

Wichai Chingchama, Charge de Affaires of Royal Thai Embassy in Dhaka, V Tacorda Rabago, Ambassador of the Philippines, Hassan Farazandeh, Ambassador of Iran, M Haider Uzzaman, Chairman of the Best Air, Farhad Hossain, Director, Marketing and Sales, other members of the Best Air team, patrons and journalists were present on the occasion at the ZIA.

Best Air launched its Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka flight to promote two-way trading and traffic between Bangladesh and Thailand with four-frequencies (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) a week.

Best Air's Dhaka to Bangkok (5Q 666) flight departs from Dhaka at 11:00am and reaches at Bangkok at 2:35, while the flight departs from Bangkok to Dhaka (5Q 667) at 15:35 and arrives Dhaka at 05:10 every scheduled day.

Secretary Syed Mohammad Zobaer said the government would facilitate and promote the private aviation company to come forward for the development of the aviation sector.

The government is trying to create a congenial environment to develop the private aviation service, he added.

Chairman of the Best Air Haider Uzzaman said his personal experiences in the services for over two decades have given an ample scope for him to plan different benefits packages for the passengers which is the right choices for passengers as they are paying for.

Haider hoped for a positive growth of the Bangladesh tourism industry and business with the reforms taking place currently allowing the tourist to look at Bangladesh as a destination.

However, he said that a lot of promotion on Bangladesh itself needs to be done internationally to attract tourists and investments.

He also said Best Air would try its best to attract the foreign tourists by offering "Destination Bangladesh" package which will include all the tourist attractions of Bangladesh.

Best Aviation Limited also plans to start the flights to Kolkata, Chennai and Kualalampur in July next, while Middle Eastern gateway point Dubai flight would be started in August 2008, Haider said.

Using B-737 advanced aircraft with single class configuration of 118 all economy seats, Best Air has already earned its position operating in the lone domestic sector Dhaka-Chittagong-Dhaka with premium quality flight services.

Best Air started its journey in 1999 as the pioneering helicopter operation and the freighter operation. The company also entered in the passenger market from the beginning of the 2008 with an ambition plan of launching its flight services to different destinations out of Bangladesh including Kualalampur of Malaysia, Kolkata, Chennai-India, Dubai-United Arab Emirate, Kuwait, Bahrain, Kunming-China and plans to connect Colombo and Male with its flight service to Chennai.

Best Air currently has a fleet of 2 HS-748 freighters and 1B-737-200 advanced and 2 more B-737-200 advanced are planned to be delivered in June 2008.