The government is working to bring balance on providing facilities between state-run carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and private airlines to run the country's aviation sector properly.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air-Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman made the statement at a seminar on "Prospect of Bangladesh as Regional Hub" on Saturday.
The CAAB chief said: “Despite having all sorts of elements to be a hub, we could not turn the Hazrat Shajalal International Airport (HSIA) into a regional hub yet, he said.
He said Bangladesh’s geo location is favourable to make it a regional hub.
“We will maintain international standard in our service… We’ve already appointed foreign consultants in this regard,” he told the seminar, held on the sideline of the international travel and tourism fair at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city.
Referring to the trend of air passenger growth, the CAAB chairman said: "Four million people travelled internationally while domestic flight operations were also kept afloat during the pandemic.”
He further said the cargo flights were also a boost to the sector amid Covid-19.
The CAAB chairman, however, pointed out that many challenges including funds, Land, skill manpower rapid technological changes, and support still remained.
Citing the example that Singapore airport has five runways, he said it is still difficult to facilitate another runway in Dhaka.
He said the private sector is also contributing to boosting the sector as well as the government.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, said the private airlines and stakeholders who are involved in the aviation sector are trying to contribute to the government’s initiative to turn the country into a regional hub.
Zahid Hossain, director of admin and sales of Biman, said: “We are struggling to ensure quality service as we couldn't recruit as per the demand.”
Organized by The Bangladesh Monitor the seminar was also addressed by Md Abdullah Al Mamun, managing director of US-Bangla Airlines; Mofizur Rahman, managing director of Novoair; and ATM Nazrul Islam, managing director of United Airways Bangladesh Ltd.
Representatives from different stakeholders of the country’s aviation industry including regulators, airlines, concerned apex trade bodies, aviation experts, and aviation reporters also spoke on the occasion.
