The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Barisal

Barisal airport came into operation after 18 months as United Airways, a private airline, started its 5th domestic flight on Dhaka-Barisal route on Sunday.

The opening flight landed Barisal Airport at 11:45 am carrying 36 passengers and took off for Dhaka at 12:15 pm with 29 passengers, mostly guests of the inauguration flight.

"We are happy connecting the country's southern part with the capital," said Md. Kamarul Islam, deputy manager (marketing support and public relations) of United Airways.

Captain Tasbirul Ahmed Chowdhury, also chairman and managing director of the airways, inaugurated the flight. Syed Abdul Muktadir, Khurshid Alam, Ferdous Imam, Zilani F R Chowdhury, D M Moudud, Manirul Huq Zoardar, Majubur Rahman, Abu Saleh Md Musa, among others, attended the flight.

"We will operate three flights a week to Barisal," Kamrul said, adding that the 20 minute-flight will be operated on Sunday at 7:30 am and 1:30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday from Zia International Airport.

According to the official, the one-way fare for each passenger will be Tk 4,495, while the return fare will be Tk 8,990, including taxes, and will give one bonus ticket against purchasing of two tickets.

Two other local airlines-Biman Bangladesh Airlines and GMG Airlines-had earlier suspended their flights due to poor traffic.

The United Airways, however, expressed its optimism about attracting passengers, particularly those, who had switched over to other transport systems such as water and roads. It is expecting to receive some corporate passengers also.

"We believe we will be able to bring back the passengers by giving slogan 'Fly Your Own Airline'," the official said.

United Airways, a venture of non-resident Bangladeshis, launched operation in July 10, 2007 with two Canadian made DASH-8 model 37 seated air crafts to grab the country's potential aviation market, which grows about 7.5 percent a year.

The airline now operates flights to four domestic destinations Chittagong, Sylhet, Cox's Bazar and Jessore. The Dhaka-Chittagong route is its main source of revenue, it said.

The two-fleet carrier went global by flying on the Dhaka-Kolkata route on September 24, 2008 and hoped to touch Kathmundu, Bangkok, and Kualalumpur, Bahrain and Dubai airports by 2009.