Private airliner United Airways continues its flight suspension for an indefinite period in the wake of insufficient aircraft and financial crisis.
Meanwhile, United Airways authorities yesterday declared its flight cancellation on all domestic routes till February 6 due to technical glitch of their aircraft.
However, the online notification of the airlines didn’t give any hint about the resumption of its international flights that remain suspended from mid-January.
United Airways in an email message to passengers of domestic flights said: “All domestic flights have been cancelled from 29 January to 6 February, 2016 due technical glitch of ATR aircraft.”
The email was sent by Shahriar Kabir, manager (marketing and sales) of the private airliner.
Contacted, an official of the airlines told the Dhaka Tribune it would take one more week to resume international flights as their only international passenger carrier MD 83 aircraft is yet to be flight-worthy.
“It will be very difficult to resume the international flights within a short time as the airlines has not only suffering from aircraft but also financial crunch,” said another officer of the airliner on condition of anonymity.
He also said the lone international flight (Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur) was operating by an MD 83 aircraft which is grounded due to lack of its engine.
The last flight was operated by an MD 83 aircraft from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur in mid-January that was forced to return Dhaka as one of its engines was shutdown at mid-air.
And since then, the authorities concerned didn’t take any quick measures to make the aircraft operational.
Meanwhile, the management of United Airways has also reportedly been facing from fund crisis although further investment is needed to rescue the airliner from the vulnerable situation.
Moreover, United Airways has not yet paid its dues of aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges worth over Tk125 crore.
According to the Dhaka Tribune investigation, all the aircraft of the airlines are now grounded due to their technical glitches.
The company’s revenue earning also decreased drastically, as it could not operate most of the aircraft during the past one year. Most of the employees of United Airways did not get their due salaries in the last four months, which compelled them to leave the organisation.
According to an official of the airlines, around 40% cockpit crews, cabin crews, engineers and officers of different departments have already left their jobs in the last couple of months.
Earlier, the airliner had bought some old aircraft with a cost of Tk400 crore which was raised through offering rights shares to its shareholders.
Tasbirul Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of the airways told the Dhaka Tribune that the airlines would be revitalised by investing hundreds crore of Taka.
The management is planning to invest more money by raising TK400 crore again from shareholders by offering share.