Economic Reporter :
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate at least one Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar flight with its wide-bodied Boeing 737-800 aircraft weekly from now on as runway of the country’s premier tourist beach town airport has been extended and widened for large aircraft to give a boost to tourism sector.
“Currently, we will operate at least one weekly flight by 162-seater Boeing 737-800 and increase operation of the wide-bodied aircraft gradually specially in winter during the tourist season,” Biman’s GM Public Relation Shakil Meraj told.
Presently, the national flag carrier is operating one daily Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka flight with its 74-seater Dash Q-400 aircraft.
“The wide-body Boeing will offer business class apart from its economy to tourists for the first time and the flight time will be reduced by 15 to 10 minutes,” he said adding that presently it takes one hour to reach the beach town from the capital by Dash aircraft.
Apart from the national flag carrier, presently the private US-Bangla Airlines and Novo-Air operate 2 flights daily while Regent Air operates one flight daily. Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales of US-Bangla Airlines Sohail Majid said they are planning to operate Cox’s Bazar flight with Boeing 737-800 from upcoming Eid vacation.
“Now we are awaiting to get slots from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate wide-bodied aircraft to Cox’s Bazar. Just after getting the slot we will start operation with our Boeing aircraft,” he said.
Majid said load factor of Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar flight is always high in the winter season. “Demand is always there in tourist season. We can operate two daily flights with Boeing 737 in the season. And I am hopeful to reduce the fair as well,” he said.
The British-era Cox’s Bazar airport is being used domestically. Only small aircraft with less than 76-seat uses the airport until now. But the government has been working to upgrade the airport to an international one to make the Cox’s Bazar as an international single tourist designation.
As part of the “Cox’s Bazar Airport Development Project”, CAAB official source said runway of the airport was extended to 9000 from 6,775 feet and widened to 200 from 150 feet that allows the wide-bodied aircraft to use the airport.
The new runway was opened as the Biman’s Boeing 737-800 “Meghdoot” landed with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other passengers on board this morning.
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate at least one Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar flight with its wide-bodied Boeing 737-800 aircraft weekly from now on as runway of the country’s premier tourist beach town airport has been extended and widened for large aircraft to give a boost to tourism sector.
“Currently, we will operate at least one weekly flight by 162-seater Boeing 737-800 and increase operation of the wide-bodied aircraft gradually specially in winter during the tourist season,” Biman’s GM Public Relation Shakil Meraj told.
Presently, the national flag carrier is operating one daily Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka flight with its 74-seater Dash Q-400 aircraft.
“The wide-body Boeing will offer business class apart from its economy to tourists for the first time and the flight time will be reduced by 15 to 10 minutes,” he said adding that presently it takes one hour to reach the beach town from the capital by Dash aircraft.
Apart from the national flag carrier, presently the private US-Bangla Airlines and Novo-Air operate 2 flights daily while Regent Air operates one flight daily. Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales of US-Bangla Airlines Sohail Majid said they are planning to operate Cox’s Bazar flight with Boeing 737-800 from upcoming Eid vacation.
“Now we are awaiting to get slots from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate wide-bodied aircraft to Cox’s Bazar. Just after getting the slot we will start operation with our Boeing aircraft,” he said.
Majid said load factor of Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar flight is always high in the winter season. “Demand is always there in tourist season. We can operate two daily flights with Boeing 737 in the season. And I am hopeful to reduce the fair as well,” he said.
The British-era Cox’s Bazar airport is being used domestically. Only small aircraft with less than 76-seat uses the airport until now. But the government has been working to upgrade the airport to an international one to make the Cox’s Bazar as an international single tourist designation.
As part of the “Cox’s Bazar Airport Development Project”, CAAB official source said runway of the airport was extended to 9000 from 6,775 feet and widened to 200 from 150 feet that allows the wide-bodied aircraft to use the airport.
The new runway was opened as the Biman’s Boeing 737-800 “Meghdoot” landed with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other passengers on board this morning.
