Air Astra to start domestic flights in March

Air Astra, a new private airline company in the country, is set to start operations on domestic routes in March.

It has already signed a deal with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to lease three ATR 72-600 (Dash) aircraft, the most fuel-efficient regional airplane.

“Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will send the three aircraft to France next month for a maintenance check. If the planes get clearance, the company will deliver those to us,” Imran Asif, chief executive officer of Air Astra, told The Business Post.

“We will need two separate no-objection certificates – from the commerce ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) – to bring the three aircraft here,” he said.

He further said his company was ready to provide comfortable and passenger-friendly services. 

“After receiving the planes, we may need two to three weeks to start flights. The timeframe will depend on an inspection by CAAB,” the Air Astra chief executive added.

Two of the three aircraft the company will receive are now operated by Myanmar Airways International Company. The other is operated by Saudi Arabia’s Nesma Airlines on the country’s domestic routes.

Imran hopes they will lease four more aircraft from the same company if it provides good service. 

Before joining Air Astra, he served as the chief executive officer of Regent Airways and US-Bangla Airlines.

Air Astra has already recruited manpower in various departments, including ground operations, cabin service, aviation security and safety, and flight operations.

It is using the Regent Airways office in the capital’s Uttra as its head office as the latter is not in operation at present.

Regent Airways suspended flight operations in March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak and has not resumed that yet.

The civil aviation authority said another private airline company, Fly Dhaka, was also planning to start commercial flights on domestic routes this year.

Apart from national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines, two private companies – US-Bangla and Novoair – currently operate domestic flights.