US-Bangla Airlines, the youngest private domestic airline of the country, has unveiled grand expansion plan of operation to regional and international routes.
This announced came at the airline's Customer Success Summit -first of its kind in the aviation history of Bangladesh--from its Managing Director Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mamun. He was welcoming guests attending the function. He said services to regional routes by Boeing B737-800 equipment will start in 2016 and to international routes by Boeing B787 in 2017 and expressed determination to make the airline one of the best international carriers in Asia.
The event was held at Ocean Paradise Hotel, Cox's Bazar.
Rashed Khan Menon, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, formally inaugurated the 'Customer Success Summit' as the chief guest. He also handed over nationwide Best Seller Awards of US-Bangla Airlines.
Khurshed Alam Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, M Sanaul Haque, Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, local MP Shaimum Sarwar Kamal; Christia’n Tardiff, Charge D'Affair’s, Canadian High Commission, Vice President of ATAB Mohammad Abu Jafar and General Secretary of ATAB Aslam Khan, high officials of Civil Aviation Authority and different government agencies and high officials of US-Bangla Airlines attended the event.
Inaugurating the event, Menon disclosed that Bangladesh has received more tourists this year compared to corresponding period of 2014, despite the travel alerts issued by some countries including the US.
Menon said 77,587 tourists visited Bangladesh between Oct 1 and Nov 15 in 2014. During corresponding period of this year, more than 87,000 foreigners visited the country.
"Bangladesh is safer than the US. Some people are trying to project Bangladesh as an unsafe place because of their own political interests," Menon said and added "Even after more than one hundred people were killed in terror attacks in Paris, the climate summit took place there as planned. But when three foreigners (actual number two) were killed in isolated incidents in Bangladesh, they issued [travel] alerts. This is just not acceptable."
The Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism congratulated US-Bangla Airlines for achieving various successes with a short period of 18 months and expressed the hope that the plan to extend operation to international routes would also be crowned with success.
Lauding US-Bangla Airline's on-time performance, safety record and customer satisfaction index, Menon sought the cooperation of private airlines of the country for opening of new domestic routes including service between Chittagong and Sylhet and Sylhet and Cox's Bazar for development of tourism.
These routes, he said would facilitate tourist from North-East India to visit Bangladesh in general and beach in Cox's Bazar in particular.
The minister mentioned different problems of Cox's Bazar including absence of drainage system and unplanned development and spoke of government plans to boost tourism and make the beach town more attractive.
He thanked US-Bangla Airline for selecting Cox's Bazar as the venue for the event ahead of Visit Bangladesh Year and said to draw more focus, a beach carnival will be held on December 31.
Menon also assured efforts to solve genuine problems of private airlines of the country.
Khurshed Alam Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said that the ministry would examine the success of US-Bangla Airlines and try to enlarge it.
Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Air Vice Marshal M. Sanaul Haque said that since starting operation from July 2018, US-Bangla Airlines has operated 8000 flights and transported half a million passengers with no major accident. He descried it as very good record and wished the expansion plan a success.
Local MP Shaimum Sarwar Kamal said there are 463 hotels in Cox's Bazar, but due to paucity of loan sources, room rates of these hotels are high and not always within the reach of middle class people. He suggested creation of loan fund to provide maximum of Tk 3 crore loan per hotel, to bring room rate between Tk 1200 and Taka 1400. He also suggested measures for development of tourism in the area.
Vice President of ATAB Mohammad Abu Jafar lauded effort of US-Bangla Airlines to bering 300 travel agents under one roof. He also suggested five years moratorium of landing charge for domestic private airlines.
The Customer Success Summit
Summit participants came from all corners of the country and events included-- award giving ceremony, cultural event, business meeting between US-Bangla Airlines and travel agents and corporate offices, sightseeing, enjoying 'Fanush' festival at world longest sea beach Cox's Bazar and lots of business events.
US-Bangla Airlines serves the domestic destinations in Bangladesh with three DASH-8 Q400 aircraft and operating scheduled flights on Dhaka to Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Jessore, Sylhet, Saidpur, Rajshahi and Barisal routes. This type of aircraft is safer, more reliable. The seats are more comfortable also.
The airline, committed to uphold on-time performance and superior cabin services, achieved nearly 98.7 per cent on-time performance and earned almost 100 per cent passenger satisfaction in its short journey.
The Summit events concluded with award giving ceremony. 26 travel agents one from Cox's Bazar; four from Chittagong; one from Barisal; one from Rajshahi; three from Jessore and Khulna; three from Sylhet and 10 from Dhaka areas received best sellers award.
Champion of the nationwide best seller award of US-Bangla Airlines went to Be Fresh Travels, Chittagong, first runner up to the Nationwide Seller Takeoff Travels, Jessore and second runner up to Nationwide Seller International Travel Corporation (ITC), Dhaka. They received cash award of 2 lakh, one lakh and half lakh respectively.
Logistic and management wise, the Customer Success Summit was a gigantic task, but it was well run and completed without any hitch.
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