Local aviation industry struggling for survival

Staff Reporter :
The deadly Covid-19 has created severe impact on country's aviation and tourism as these sectors are struggling for survival.
All the airliners are struggling with maintaining management costs, aviation charges, and payments of installments for the aircraft.
Apart from Biman Bangladesh Airlines three other private airlines, US Bangla, Novo Air, Regent Airway are operating flights in the country.
Due to novel coronavirus Bangladeshi airlines has lost its 70 per cent of international flights passengers while 35 per cent in domestic flights.
Aviation sector related source said, in 2019 Bangladeshi airlines companies have been operated 1.31 crore passengers in domestic and international routes where 85.96 lakh was international and 44.82 lakh was domestic passengers. They also operated 150 domestic and international flights per day.
70 per cent air businesses in the country are occupied by international airlines. Rest 30 per cent are under local air companies which is Tk 8,000 crore worthy. If the local companies would not be able to survive, the market will be occupied by the international companies.
The air business related entrepreneurs said, without reconsidering the price of air fuel, enough hangers for aircraft repairs, reduce extra aeronautical charges and complexity over import of the aircraft parts would have tough to survival.
Over the issue, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said, they have already exoneration the domestic aeronautical charges. And also have reduced non- aeronautical charges. Building of hangers has been started two year earlier which will be ready to operate soon.
CAAB said, they issued a letter to the energy department over the issue. The airlines companies can get loan from bank with 9 per cent interest as they will pay 4.5 per cent interest and rest will pay the government.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of CAAB said, the government is too cordial and try its best to help the local airlines companies. As part thereof the govt. has decided to exonerate and reduce of aeronautical and non- aeronautical charges.
He said, the building of hangers is going on and within short time the air lines companies will get opportunity to use the hangers for repairs and maintain the aircrafts.
Private air line company US-Bangla's CEO Sikdar Mesbahuddin Ahmed said, the charges of aeronautical and non- aeronautical are at bearable level, fix jet fuel price in international standard and make available hangers for passengers airlines will be helpful to survive in the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has extended suspension of regular flight operations on five international routes to Manchester, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Madina and Kuwait till December 31.
Earlier on November 2, the national airliner had announced to suspend its flights to these five routes till November 30 on the same ground.
Biman suspended flight operations to all routes in March following the global Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns.
After resuming international flight operations since the middle of July, the national flag carrier restarted flights to London, Singapore, Malaysia, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh and Muscat.
On the other hand, US-Bangla airlines only operated its domestic flights. Besides, from last October the private airline was operating Dhaka-Kolkata, Dhaka- Chennai and Chattogram- Chennai routes flights.