Regent Airways, a private airline in Bangladesh, is set to expand its fleet with two Boeing Next Generation 737-700 aircraft as it prepares to start international operations in May.
The airplanes will join Regent’s fleet of two Bombardier Dash-8-Q300 aircraft in April and May under a six-year lease from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), the airliner said in a statement yesterday.
The aircraft will initially be deployed on flights to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi, among others, out of the airline’s base in Dhaka, Bangladesh, according to the statement.
The 737-700 aircraft was evaluated to be the best from the options available to choose from in the 120-140 seat category of airplanes, and it promises to deliver the best economics and reliability in its class, said Imran Asif, chief executive officer of the airline.
“We are honoured that Regent Airways selected the 737-700 and look forward to building our new partnership,” said Marty Bentrott, vice president for sales for the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“The Boeing 737-700 aircraft for Regent Airways are equipped with fuel-saving winglets, and will be configured with 126 seats comprising of 12 business and 114 economy seats,” according to the statement.
ILFC is a leasing company, which has a portfolio of over 1,200 airplanes, and the aircraft being leased are of an average age of just around six years.
-With The Daily Star input
