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AirArabia Eyes Expansion in Bangladesh’s Growing Aviation Sector
Adel Abdullah Ali, the group CEO of AirArabia, the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East, expressed optimism about expanding business in Bangladesh, considering the country a key route in the airline’s growth strategy. During his recent visit to Dhaka, marking the first tour of Bangladesh by a group CEO in the airline’s 20-year global history, Ali highlighted Bangladesh’s aviation growth and its potential for business opportunities.
Ali emphasized the suitability of Bangladesh for the aviation business, citing AirArabia’s successful operations in the country for the past 17 years. The CEO noted a consistent growth rate of three to four percent year-on-year in Bangladesh’s aviation sector, contributing to the airline’s positive outlook. Bangladesh-UAE is acknowledged as one of the key routes for AirArabia.
Currently, AirArabia operates 57 non-stop weekly flights between two destinations in Bangladesh—Dhaka and Port City Chattogram. Ali mentioned that the airline is open to considering an increase in flight frequency depending on the economic situation and growth factors in Bangladesh.
With seven strategic hubs in UAE, Morocco, Egypt, Armenia, and Pakistan, AirArabia operates over 190 international and domestic routes in approximately 50 countries, maintaining a fleet of 73 Airbus A320 and A321 planes. The airline has an existing order for 120 Airbus A320 family aircraft, including A320neo, A321neo-LR, and A321 XLR, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2025.
Ali revealed plans to cover all European destinations within two years after receiving the A321 XLR aircraft, capable of flying more than 8 hours. He credited AirArabia with transforming the perception of air travel in the Arab world by making it accessible to all segments of the community with reasonable ticket prices.
The CEO highlighted the positive impact on the expatriate Bangladeshi community, enabling more frequent visits to their homeland. AirArabia has become one of the world’s best-performing airlines in terms of operational efficiency and profitability.
AirArabia regional general manager Rajesh Nurala and MGH CEO Abdur Rahim, the airline’s general sales agent (GSA) in Bangladesh, were also present during Ali’s visit.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
