Private airline Novoair yesterday launched its flights on three domestic routes with promises of providing better services and highest level of aviation safety.
The carrier initially began its operation with Brazil made two 49-seater Embraer EMB-145 jets on Dhaka to Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Jessore routes.
Civil Aviation Minister Faruk Khan inaugurated Novoair’s debut flight from Dhaka to Chittagong at the domestic terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Starting from Dhaka, the airline will operate four flights to Chittagong, one flight each to Cox’s Bazar and Jessore.
The airliner also plans to start Dhaka-Sylhet flight next month.
Corporate and business travelers now prefer air travel to save time due to poor condition of roads, said Mofizur Rahman, managing director of the airline.
So Novoair wants to ensure on-time departure and passengers’ safety and comfort, he said. The fares for a one-way trip to Chittagong will be Tk 4,949 for early bookings and Tk 6,949 for regular bookings.
One-way fare on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route is Tk 5,728 to Tk 7,728, while a one-way ticket to Jessore will cost Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,500.
Government always encourages and provides support to the private sector to ensure more commercial involvement of them in the aviation sector and give a boost to the country’s economy, said the minister.
“We have already reduced all charges at domestic airports to help the local aviation industry flourish,” he said, adding: “We are also considering reducing the charges further.”
Air traffic has been gradually increasing on local routes in the recent years, as business and industrial activities expanded depending on the booming domestic tourism.
Local airlines carried 6.27 lakh passengers on domestic routes in 2011, up 20 percent from the previous year, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh.
At present, three local carriers — Biman Bangladesh Airlines, United Airways and Regent Airways — operate flights to different domestic destinations.
Novoair, which has 12 Bangladeshi and six foreign pilots, may launch international flights by the next three years, Rahman said.
Since the beginning of its journey in 2007, Novoair was engaged in multiple facets of aviation services, like representing China Southern Airline and Tiger Airways, Singapore as general sales agent for Bangladesh.
-With The Daily Star input
