NICHOLAS IONIDES / BALI
Bangladeshi airline seeks to lease A320s or 737s after winning international rights for services from Chittagong
GMG Airlines of Bangladesh is in talks to lease Airbus A320s or Boeing 737-700/800s after winning long-sought-after rights to launch international services.
Managing director Shahab Sattar said at a conference organised by Sabre on the Indonesian resort island of Bali that the carrier was hoping to add two narrowbodies over the next six to 12 months. Talks have begun with lessors, including GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).
Sattar says the airline wants to launch services from Bangladesh's second international gateway of Chittagong to Dubai and other Middle East points. The international rights award, granted last month, allows GMG to operate from Chittagong to any point apart from those in the Middle East. Sattar says, however, he is confident Dubai rights will be granted soon.
"We are fighting for the Middle East from Chittagong," he says. "Our plan has always been to set up for regional/international operations. We are moving closer to that. The plan is to steadily go for bigger-metal aircraft."
The carrier currently operates two Bombardier Dash 8-100s on lease from the manufacturer and one larger Dash 8-300 on lease from GECAS. A -100 is to be replaced soon with a further -300.
The international rights award also allows GMG to fly from Dhaka to Paro in Bhutan and Sattar says services should be launched within three months. Rights have also been granted for services to the Indian cities of Chennai (Madras), Gouhati and Shillong, although Sattar says these are not designated destination points from Dhaka in the existing air services agreement with India, signed in 1978.
GMG is owned by the conglomerate GMG Group and launched services in April 1998 after partial deregulation of the local industry. Other private carriers were launched, such as Air Parabat and Aero Bengal Airlines, but all have since shut and GMG is the only domestic competitor to state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Source: Flight International
