GMG Airlines Bangladesh here from November

by Shirjav Sirimane

GMG Airlines Bangladesh will operate direct flights to Sri Lanka from November. It would also have a stop over in the Maldives.

The airline is planning to operate two flights a week.

According to an official of the Bangladesh High Commission this would be the third international destination for the airline, which is Bangladesh's leading and only Private domestic airline.

GMG a part of the well established and reputed GMG Group and has become a household name within 3 years of its operations already flies to China and India.

SriLankan Airlines were operating direct flights to Dhaka Bangladesh for one year before the service was terminated in 2002. At present passengers have to fly to Thailand and take a connecting flight.

The main reason to target Colombo is to attract the Bangladesh expatiates in India. "Since the connections from India to Colombo are very good Bangladesh passengers can now fly to Colombo and take the connecting flight to Dhaka," the official said. There are over 10,000 Bangladesh expatriates in Maldives and the airline hopes to cater to this market. Currently only SriLankan and Emirates operates flights to Male and this air link would also bring in leisure travelers to both countries and have an impact on the high airfare.

Mac Air is to be appointed as the local GSA for the airline. GMG Group has a well-established commercial and industrial background with operations in Bangladesh since the early 1950's. GMG Group has flourishing businesses in textile manufacture, manufacture and distribution of razor blades, re-rolling steel mills and fashion apparel manufacturing.

Equipped with three modern state of the art Dash 8 series aircrafts manufactured by Bombardier of Canada, GMG connects daily Dhaka city to six other cities within Bangladesh with frequent and conveniently timed flights at regular intervals.

GMG Airlines first took to the skies in April 1998 and has provided committed service ever since. GMG Airlines operates 32 flights everyday at an average of one landing take off every half an hour.