Aviation operators seek govt incentive in industry crisis

Bangladesh's sole representative body for private aviation operators convened its 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dhaka on Saturday, where senior industry figures warned that the sector is navigating one of its most challenging periods in recent memory.

The Aviation Operators Association of Bangladesh (AOAB) held the gathering at Samson Centre in Banani in the capital, says a press release.

According to the AOAB release, the session was chaired by AOAB President Anjan Chowdhury, who also serves as Managing Director of Square Air Limited.

In his opening remarks, Chowdhury called on all stakeholders to present a united front. 'The aviation industry is going through a difficult time. We must all pull together,' he said.

AOAB Secretary General Mafizur Rahman, also Managing Director of NovoAir, outlined the structural pressures bearing down on private aviation owners. He cited the high cost of jet fuel, steep hangar rental fees, customs-related complications, and a range of charges imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), which he said are placing operators under severe strain.

The AOAB president also expressed gratitude to the government and relevant departments for reconsidering certain key provisions of the Bangladesh Travel Agency Act, as published in the Bangladesh Gazette—a legislative issue the association had previously flagged as needing revision.

Speakers at the meeting called for meaningful inter-ministerial coordination to keep the country's aviation industry afloat. They specifically urged cooperation from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Ministry of Finance, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other relevant regulatory bodies.

A cross-section of aviation industry leaders attended the AGM. Among those present were AOAB Vice Chairman-2 and US-Bangla Airlines Managing Director Abdullah Al Mamun; Treasurer and Impress Aviation Managing Director Z Mahmud Mamun; Joint Secretary and Blue Flying Academy Chairman Abdullah Al Zahir Swapan; and Organisational Secretary and Bangla International Airlines representative Rakibul Kabir.

Also in attendance were Tanvir Mustafa and Chief Operating Officer Anwarul Haq Sardar of Meghna Aviation; Basundhara Air Ways COO ASM Mustafizul Haq; and Sky Capital Airlines CEO JM Mostafizur Rahman, along with other senior industry figures.

AOAB describes itself as the only association representing private aviation-sector stakeholders in Bangladesh.